A Bowl of Cherries
by Black Cherry Bomb
Summary: Yugi is your typical nerdy, shy teenager. He could use having more friends, and he could definitely use having a love life. Maybe the new transfer student, Yami, will change that... Puzzleshipping.
1. The Transfer Student

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh! Kazuki Takahashi does. I am writing this for fun, not for profit.<br>Warnings/Triggers: bullying.  
>Rating:<strong> T+ <strong>for language and hinted sexuality in later chapters (maybe ^^)**  
><strong>

December 31st, 2011: ****A/N **  
><strong>This is a WIP puzzleshipping, Yugi-centric, high school AU with slight chances of side pairings and love triangles. But it mostly focuses on Yugi's friendships, family and coming of age in general. It starts happy-go-lucky but gets a little darker as we get to know the characters more. I'll do my best to update weekly, hope you enjoy, and am curious to know what you think! Reviews allow me to know what you like or don't like, and what confuses or surprises you. Happy reading!** -Cherry**

**.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Yugi hated trigonometry.<p>

Not only he had to sit through an entire class of it, but he had to do so without his only guy friends Joey and Tristan, who were in 'slacker math', unlike him.

Sometimes Yugi hated being the best. He wasn't even the best in things that mattered. Math? Check. Duel Monsters? Check. Tying your shoelaces with your eyes closed? Check. Picking the biggest potato chips from the bag before anyone else? Check.

None of these weird useless skills would get him friends, and the few ones he did have, had nothing in common with him except dueling.

Yugi felt something on his nape. He picked up the spit wad off his skin, disgusted, and glanced around. He saw Seto Kaiba, immobile, behind his copy of the New York Times. Yugi flushed in embarrassment. He knew no one would come to his defense, because Kaiba had more lawyers than anyone else in Domino and well, even though he knew Kaiba wouldn't do anything mean to him, Yugi just didn't have the heart to stand up to him, or whoever else for that matter.

A pretty girl with cropped brown hair came in rushing and crashed in the chair next to his. It was Anzu, the only one in their group of friends to be in this class, and also his only girl friend.

Girl-friend, not _girlfriend_. Yugi loved her, but not that way. She would always sit next to him whenever she could, which was whenever she wanted, because Yugi had a geeky reputation and somehow, in this school, people thought geekiness was contagious or something. She'd fend off any nasty remarks that came his way, even from the jocks. But since she spent much of her time socializing with the other girls in the class, Yugi still ended up feeling alone at school. At least he was sitting by the window. He could look at the trees and let his mind wander in the skies anytime he wanted. His only escape.

He shook his hair one last time before class started, just in case more spit wads had found their way into it. Two small wet, white pebbles fell on the floor; Yugi had the decency to bend over and pick them up. He wasn't going to litter.

The new teacher, a young man in his thirties, cleared his throat.

"Class, I'd like to introduce you to the new student I've told you about yesterday," he said almost nonchalantly.

Yugi looked up right away. A transfer student? Really? He must not have been paying much attention yesterday because he totally missed that bit. Well, maybe doing his homework in advance and sorting out his deck in class didn't help, either. The boy, or rather, the teenager walked into the classroom.

"This is Yami Atem Aknamkanon."

Yugi's eyes widened. He was extremely good looking, tall and thin with spikey tri-coloured hair, deep black with crimson and golden highlights.

"Just call me Yami," he said casually. He stood confidently, hands in the pockets of his black leather pants. How did he get approval from the school board to wear 'this' instead of the boring uniform trousers everyone else was forced into? Even Joey docilely wore them, cursing every time, complaining how uncool they made him look. Yugi too disliked the dark blue thing, they were too big for him; not only they made him look childish, but also even shorter than his four feet eleven.

"Welcome to Domino High, Yami. Please sit next to Kaiba."

Yami coolly strolled past Yugi to the last row of desks. He was even slimmer than he looked. Anzu, just like every girl in the room, eyed him up as he walked by her. Not giving the fangirls attention, he sat down gracefully at the desk that Kaiba occupied fully with his laptop, iPad, a recording device and a stack of newspapers that had more articles than images in them. Kaiba didn't budge, now rifling through the Washington Post. Yami didn't look like he cared much about the lack of desk space.

Anzu cupped her hand near Yugi's ear. "He's hot," she whispered giddily.

Yugi smiled awkwardly. Anzu didn't seem to notice. Furtive glances and whispers continued even as the teacher wiped the chalk off the blackboard.

"Open your book page seventy-one. We're going to keep working on these exercises to get ready for tomorrow's test."

Yugi pretended to open his book at the right page, just for show. He had already done all the exercises. He was curious about Yami! Surely no one would notice if he risked giving a furtive glance, too, at the attractive stranger.

He had crossed his legs and was reading something that looked like a paperback. No trigonometry textbook in sight. With the small piercing on his left eyebrow and his dress code breaching pants, Yami sure didn't look like a bookworm, even less a nerd.

The jock sitting immediately behind Yugi had apparently noticed the ogling, for he gave him a mocking, leery look. 'See something you like?' he mouthed.

Yugi quickly averted his gaze. He didn't want to know what was next in the boy's series of slurs. Anzu hadn't noticed anything, and to be honest, Yugi was not unhappy about that. It was nice knowing someone had your back, but Anzu could get intimidating at times, and this whole protective act was more emasculating for Yugi than anything else. Anzu was completely oblivious, and at the moment, she was busy exchanging little notes written on pink post-its with that other brown haired girl whose name Yugi kept forgetting. The teacher kept talking, but Yugi processed none of his words. It was more like background noise to him.

"So I'm going to have to pick volunteers, again," said the teacher tiredly. "Yugi, please come to the blackboard to solve number seventeen."

Ugh. Yugi just hated trigonometry.


	2. A Three Letter Word

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**Chapter 2**

Yugi walked fast past the group of jocks who were taking up all the space in the hallway.

Not that he was looking forward to get to his next classes. First, there was a test in trigonometry, then two periods of physical education. His _worst_ nightmare.

On the bright side, he might see Yami again today. He hadn't had a chance to speak to him yesterday, since the taller teen had nearly been assaulted by hordes of girls (and even a few boys) after class. Yugi had been quick to give up, telling himself that he'd get a chance to introduce himself to him some other time. It wasn't like he was going to transfer again soon, was it?

He was distracted from his thoughts by a powerful shove. Yugi came crashing into a nearby locker.

"Oh, sorry man, didn't see ya!" The unnamed jock who had 'accidentally' pushed Yugi laughed at his own joke and high five'd one of his friends.

"Hey! Hey you!"

Heads turned at the sound of Anzu's voice. Her very, _very_ angry voice.

"Did you just push him?"

"He didn't push me," Yugi intervened meekly, eager not to be the center of attention.

"I'm not talking to you, Yugi. What did you guys do exactly? Huh?"

The jocks stayed silent, not knowing what to say. Anzu might be a girl, but she was pretty fit and had quite a reputation.

"They didn't - eek!" Yugi didn't finish his sentence, because at that moment he saw, from the corner of his eye, Yami coming into the hallway. He grabbed Anzu by the sleeve and dragged her away from the jocks and out of the transfer student's sight.

"Yugi! What's gotten into you?"

"N-nothing!" He wanted to keep running, but Anzu was stronger and stopped him.

"You'll never learn to stand up for yourself if you run away from them like that!"

It's not that he was 'avoiding' them. Well, not this time. He didn't know why, but he just didn't want Yami to see him in a situation like this. Like a victim. First impressions mattered.

"We've got to head back, whether you like it or not. We're going to be late for class if we don't. Plus you shouldn't worry about the jocks - I'm _with_ you!"

Yugi knew the jocks had all but forgotten about him, so they weren't a problem. They weren't nice and took advantage of Yugi's weakness, but they weren't cruel or persistent. They never _really_ were mean to him. It was just teasing. Erm, rough teasing.

Yugi still felt nervous for some reason. What if Yami had been told by the jocks about what just happened?

Anzu started walking back, so he had to follow her. "Besides, you were totally defending them," she admonished, breaking Yugi's train of thought. "That's totally not helping! That's completely stupid and you know that! I mean, we've been through this before, Yugi!"

She shook her head, clearly disappointed, but didn't press any further and followed Yugi to trig. They got to class just in time before the bell rang. Yugi threw a quick glance to where Yami was seated yesterday as he walked into class, hoping to catch sight of him.

Yami was there as hoped, calmly flipping through the pages of another paperback. He was wearing a small choker necklace studded with small silver pins, and a matching bracelet around his wrist. He either wore the same black leather pants, or had more than one pair, which intrigued Yugi.

While he had merely been curious yesterday, Yugi now looked at Yami with a pang of envy. Yami looked so cool and confident, it wasn't fair. Plus, he was really good looking. Blood rushed to Yugi's cheeks; he turned away immediately and sat meekly in his chair, hoping nobody had noticed how he looked at the other teen. Probably no one had noticed. No one paid attention to Yugi anyway.

It felt safe and cozy in the space between the window and his friend Anzu, who acted as a shield of sorts against the rest of the classroom.

The teacher started handing out blank examination sheets. The whole class was silent. Anzu gave Yugi a friendly smile as a peace offering and whispered 'good luck'. They were the last ones to receive their copy of the exam, because they were sitting at the far left of the classroom, in the front row.

"You can begin your exam right away, class. I'll be right back. Don't be cheating now," said the teacher casually before slipping out of the classroom.

The room was silent except for the scratching of pencils and flipping of paper. A few whispers rose here and there, but judging from the giggles that accompanied them, the exam clearly wasn't the topic being discussed. It was actually a wise thing that the teacher had done, leaving at the beginning of the exam. Because nobody actually had started solving any problems yet, there were no answers to copy at all.

So for a little while, the room was a peaceful heaven for Yugi. He took the liberty to let his gaze wander out the window a bit. He wasn't in a hurry; going over the exam he recognized two of the optional numbers from the textbook. Which, of course Yugi had tried and solved successfully. This would be incredibly boring, but not difficult in any case.

And then 'it' began. Something, more likely someone, was kicking against the back leg of Yugi's chair.

It was light and infrequent at first, so Yugi was able to shake it off and concentrate on observing the world outside. The schoolyard was empty, but a few lonely birds flew here and there. Probably migrating to the south. It would be snowing soon. Yugi sighed. He loved the holidays, but Christmas was getting more and more awkward every year, with his grandfather's insistence that 'he should bring a girlfriend home this time'.

The kicks were getting stronger and more insistent. Yugi knew it came from the jock who had taunted him yesterday, the one sitting right behind him. Soon Yugi wasn't able to take his mind off of it. He knew the last thing he should do was turn around. It would give the guy way too much satisfaction to know that he had successfully annoyed his target.

Then the kicking stopped. Yugi decided he might as well start working on his exam. But unfortunately, his relief was short lived.

"Fag." A whisper.

Yugi couldn't help but turn around to look at the source of the voice. He stopped himself just in time, but it was too late, actually. The jock had noticed. He repeated the slur, but louder this time, and hid it in a fake cough.

"Fag."

Yugi stared straight into the blank sheet of paper in front of him. Don't let Anzu notice, he prayed. She's not going to to notice, he asserted for good luck. But he was proven wrong at that very moment.

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" Anzu said loud and clear so that everyone in the classroom could hear. She was never afraid to stand out, if it was for a good cause.

"You're delusional," he dismissed quietly, pretending he was absorbed in problem solving.

"Oh, and you're a total coward on top of that. Wow."

By now pretty much everyone in the classroom was paying attention.

"Anzu!" Yugi hissed.

"Okay, you're acting like nothing happened, but I'm not letting you getting away with this," she added defiantly. "Just because the teacher's away doesn't mean you can call my friend all kinds of things."

Yugi became pink, then red, then purple. He didn't want to be outed. It had taken him every effort to tell one person about his sexual orientation, so he definitely wasn't ready to let the whole class know! He didn't dare protest anymore; at this point it would only throw oil on Anzu's fire. He stared at his examination sheet so hard he was literally going to burn a whole through it.

"What did he say?" asked a girl.

"I don't know. Anzu, what'd he say?"

"Oh you know," said the jock before Anzu could say anything. He then sent his tongue poking the inside of his cheek and laughed loudly at his own leery gesture. Some students laughed along. Not everyone did, but enough of them did.

This was a nightmare. Yugi wanted to die. And there was no safe escape. If Anzu tried to deny the claims that Yugi was gay, then it would sound like she was trying too hard to justify herself and it would sound suspicious. Besides, she had already made it clear, in one of her many speeches, that Yugi shouldn't try to hide his sexuality, either, that she was willing not to out him, but that she wouldn't lie about it if it came up, either.

Yugi heard Anzu end the fight with a 'eww', then say 'forget about them' quietly but loud enough so that Yugi could hear her over the fading laughter of their classmates.

Then the laughter stopped abruptly, followed by a collective gasp. Curiosity got the better of Yugi and he turned around to see what was going on.

What he saw made his jaw drop.

Yami was standing behind him and Anzu, holding the jock by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

**A/N I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! See you next chapter! Cherry**


	3. Sleepless Night

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**Chapter 3**

The teacher made his presence known with a stern command.

"Cut it out."

He had come back to class at the worst moment possible. Nobody reacted, because the kids in the 'difficult math' class didn't typically get confrontational with one another. Well as we saw there was violence happening, but it was more... subtle.

"I said break it, boys! I'm not losing my job over your preschool tantrums." The teacher's voice had a more serious edge to it this time, and Yami did as he was told. The jock fumbled, nearly losing his footing as he dropped to the ground. Yami didn't flinch, like nothing important happened. The teacher impatiently asked the murmuring students to get over it, go back to their exams, and keep quiet.

Yugi couldn't look away from Yami, who in turn was staring at the bully. The look in his crimson eyes was incredibly cold, despising almost. Yami then turned to Yugi.

Their eyes met. The coldness in Yami's eyes melted a little, but there was still no trace of sympathy. Yugi just stared back, expressionless, not knowing how to react, frozen in place for what felt at least like... thirty one trigonometry classes.

Yami broke eye contact and flashed a curt smile to Anzu before walking back to his desk.

"Sir, he was attacking me," accused the jock. "I haven't done anything to him," he whined again.

"Oh, I'm sure you haven't done anything wrong at all, Bryan," replied the teacher without even lifting his eyes from the papers on his desk, probably hiding an eye roll.

"Sir, I beg to pardon, but I'm not sure you realize the gravity of the situation. This is assault!"

Anzu tsked at the hypocritical tone of the boy who had repeatedly called her friend 'fag' just a few minutes earlier.

This time the teacher looked up, trying not too look too annoyed. "Very well, then. Yami, you are being suspended from class. Not going to look good on your student file. Bryan, you may spend the rest of the period in the nurse's office. You will both be taking the make-up exam next class. Any questions?" He raised his eyebrows as if to signify, 'happy now?'

"No sir. Thank you very much, sir."

"Yeah. Now get out. Both of you. Not at the same time. You first," he said in Bryan's attention.

The jock bolted for the door, happy to have been excused from the examination.

Anzu wanted to protest.

Yugi wanted to apologize for everything.

Yami stayed put in his seat. He had dove back into his novel. At his side, Seto was crunching numbers furiously, completely unfazed by the course of events. He was probably compiling six figure sales profits or something. High school drama, or human interaction for that matter, was of little relevance to him.

"Mister Atem, please," said the teacher with far less impatience than when he had addressed the jock. He almost sounded sympathetic. It was clear that he was disciplining him because he had been forced to.

Yami flapped the book shut, wedging a slender middle finger in its middle, like a bookmark. He stood up calmly and strode to the front of the classroom, casually winking to Anzu and Yugi as he walked past them.

Had Yugi seen that right?

Yami, the one who stared down the jock with such hatred barely a minute ago, was now winking at him?

No. No way.

Yugi was NOT going to grow a crush on the new student. Sure, he thought Yami was good looking, but that was it, right? He couldn't possibly be developing feelings for him, they hadn't even properly met yet! Yugi felt sort of hot and uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Yami had winked at him. At him.

And Anzu.

Him _and_ Anzu.

Him and _Anzu_?

Yugi did his best not to look in Yami's direction when the door closed behind him. It was in his best interest not to act too obvious about his new cr-...

No. Not that word. It was _not_ a crush yet. Or rather, it didn't have to be a crush just yet. Yugi knew very well that he shouldn't be setting himself up for failure like this. There was no way someone so manly, someone so confident and strong could ever be attracted to another man, even less to a feeble little twat like himself.

First of all, it was impossible that Yami be gay. After all, all gay men dressed in pink and acted girly, right? And Yami totally didn't fit that description.

Well, neither did Yugi.

Maybe that's because he wasn't really gay, right? Right? It was harder and harder for Yugi to fool himself into hoping he might not really be gay after all. More precisely, these hopes were washing away slowly, bit by bit, every time he took a shower...

At any rate, Yugi the tiny, male, nerdy introvert, didn't stand a chance next to pretty, outgoing and and feminine Anzu. It wouldn't be the first time Anzu beat him to the race to a guy's heart (which Yugi forfeited every time).

Plus, he'd just gotten Yami into detention. Indirectly but still.

Yugi sighed. His shoulders slouched. He didn't want to be doing this test now. It was the last thing on his mind.

A little fuschia post it note was tossed gently below his face. He recognized Anzu's handwriting.

"omg did you see that? he totally winked at me!"

Hand drawn little hearts were scattered on the note. Yugi let his head fall in his hands. He coudn't didn't have the heart to play the 'yes I'll tell you what you want to hear game' with Anzu right now. He couldn't even muster a polite smile. Yugi was convinced that he had definitely made a very, very bad first impression on Yami.

He spent the rest of the period reading the questions over and over again without really understanding the words. Yami had seeped into his mind and Yugi couldn't stop imagining all kinds of scenarios involving the two of them. Yugi's backpack rips open and Yami kindly helps him pick them up; Yugi offers to share his lunch with him because Yami doesn't have one. Or, Yugi sprains his ankle during phys ed and Yami carries him bridal style to the infirmary. Or maybe, some jock punches Yami's face, and Yugi gently nurses Yami's heroic, broken nose back to health. Okay, those are getting weird, thought Yugi.

He looked out the window for a change of mind.

Outside, Yugi saw two ravens cleaning each other's feathers with their beaks, perched on a high branch of the big oak tree. It made his heart sink. Change of mind status: failure.

The bell rang and half the students literally ran out of the classroom.

"Exam's over, folks. Put down your pencils. Make sure you write your name down on every page of the exam."

Reluctantly, the most studious pupils handed the exams over and left. Soon enough, there were only three students in the classroom. Anzu was waiting for Yugi by the door, playing with her tamagochi. Kaiba was unplugging his gear and filing papers in his suitcase. Yugi was still staring at the blank front sheet of his exam, horrified. What was grandpa going to say? He handed the sheet to the teacher, downtrodden, and dragged his feet toward the exit. When he was about to leave, the teacher called him.

"Yugi, I'd like to have a word with you," said the teacher, eyeing Anzu, indicating that he wanted to have a word_ alone_ with the boy. She told Yugi with gestures that she'd grab a snack. Yugi knew which vending machine she always went to, so he'd just meet her there, and nodded in approval before she left. Kaiba brushed past Yugi as he walked out, giving him his usual neutral yet strangely knowing look, as if there was a glass wall between him and the rest of the world.

Yugi closed the door behind him, cutting off the bustle stemming from the hallway.

"What is it?" He asked the teacher a bit nervously.

"You mean what is _this_," said the teacher, pointing at Yugi's blank exam sheet.

"Oh... I haven't studied and..." This really was the extent of Yugi's deception skills. He was obviously lying and the teacher would have none of it.

"Come on, Yugi. You've done every optional exercise there was in the book. You even pointed out a printing mistake in the answer key."

Yugi was at a loss.

"So... Can you tell me what happened while I was out?" It sounded like a rhetorical question. But the teacher wasn't there, he couldn't possibly know, could he?

"Nothing."

"What did Bryan do to - I mean," the teacher sighed, rephrasing his question in more acceptable terms, "did Bryan do or say anything... offending to... anyone?"

"N-no, nothing. I don't know." Yugi wished he was a better liar. His lies weren't even consistent!

"Okay Yugi," concluded the teacher patiently. "I don't know exactly what was going on, but I suspect it might explain why my best student wasn't able to even lay his pen on his test. You're taking the make-up exam on Friday."

Alone with Bryan... and Yami.

Yugi managed to mumble a feeble 'thank you' before bolting out of the classroom.


	4. The Make Up Exam

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**Chapter 4 **

Yugi spent all Thursday wondering about the next day. And on Friday, he went to school on an empty stomach. Not the brightest thing to do before a test, but he was just too nervous to eat anything. Because of, you know, the impending weekend?

Oh, and the make-up exam.

And the prospect of a close encounter with Yami.

And the jock.

Yugi chuckled. 'Yami and The Jock'. It sounded like 'Beauty and The Beast'. Except that Yami was the Beast and Yugi wanted to be Belle, well, to play her role. The jock could have the part of one the talking utensils, like in the Disney movie.

"How's your imaginary friend doing?" Another jock, not the one who had shoved him in the lockers, was making fun at his expense as Yugi walked to the trigonometry classroom. His jock friends were laughing.

Yugi felt embarrassed and slipped through the group of on-lookers without giving them further attention. He hadn't realized he'd just laughed out loud at one of his private thoughts. Then he blushed furiously, because his private thought involved... being a Disney princess, basically. Having too much imagination was more of an inconvenience to Yugi than anything else, really. He hated school. No, he didn't hate it, rather he disliked it. He enjoyed learning, but he'd much rather be spending time learning new games and perfecting his skill in the ones he knew.

This whole hell was soon over; there was only one period left before the weekend. Yugi would be able to spend his time how he pleased wherever he pleased, and that wherever definitely did not mean 'the school hallways'!

Anzu was already at their shared desk when Yugi arrived to class. The bell hadn't rung yet, and this particularly lax teacher let the students be during break, so the classroom was a decibel incubator, if such a thing were possible. Anzu dropped the lively conversation she was having with two other girls to greet Yugi loudly.

"Oh Yuuugi~! Guess who's my best friend in the whole world?"

He gave her a dubious look. Usually, Anzu only ever 'sing-sung' his name when she wanted a favour out of him.

"I don't know, but I hope it's whoever gave you your first Magician of Faith," he deadpanned jokingly.

Anzu glomped him. Despite her boisterous and sometimes overbearing personality, Anzu had the redeeming quality of not being afraid to show her affection for Yugi publicly, despite his less-than-popular status amongst their classmates. Not once she had shown shame or embarrassment in his presence. She leaned closer to him so that the conversation became private.

"So you're going to do the make-up exam with Yami, right?"

"Yes..."

"And you're going to have him pretty much to yourself, right?"

"I guess..."

"Could you talk to him in private after you're done with the exam? I know they let you out early, I mean, as soon as you're done."

"Yes," Yugi nearly whispered, hoping that it'd make Anzu speak quiter as well. Everything she'd said so far made Yugi sound pretty gay and he didn't want any of it to reach anyone else's ears.

"You've got to tell him about me," Anzu went on. "Like, tell him that-"

"I know, I get it," interrupted Yugi, "I'll tell him that you're both pretty _and_ that you're into gaming, so that way you're best of both world and he should totally ask you out. Gotcha." He'd memorized the routine by heart over time. He was pretty much a pro wingman to Anzu. among other things.

Anzu's eyes shone brighter than Yugi's would if he found a foil card in a booster pack. He smiled back at her, albeit weakly. Ah, what wouldn't he do in the name of friendship!

The teacher called the class to attention.

"Okay, so Yami, Yugi and Bryan, come to my desk so you can get your circulation slip for the make up exam. Everyone else open your textbooks on page 89 and start reading section 6.1."

The class fell silent while the three boys stood up. Yugi, courteous as ever, motioned for Yami and Bryan to go ahead. Yami flashed him a charming smile, which sent Yugi's heart racing. Fortunately, Bryan's sneer helped restore his regular heart rate.

"So boys, murmured the teacher, "no funny shit in the hallways, okay? You're not children anymore, so I'm trusting you to walk there on your own and not bite each other's heads off. Especially you and you," he motioned to Yami and Bryan.

In the end, no 'funny shit' happened in the corridors on the way between the trig classroom and the make up exam room, which Yugi didn't know very well because it was mostly used for detention. Bryan plain ran to the other room, eager to be done with everything and enjoy his weekend as soon as possible. Even bullies had their priorities straight.

There was nothing wrong with the jock leaving Yugi behind; but it had the unfortunate consequence of leaving him to his own devices... With Yami. For a whole minute, he didn't know what to say to the taller teenage.

Yugi's kid sneakers (he had small feet) squeaked on the tile floor while Yami's heels sort of clicked. Yugi peeked at his feet; Yami was wearing the kind of expensive Italian leather shoes only Kaiba and other men of his caliber could normally afford.

Strange.

"Wow," started Yugi tentatively, "nice shoes."

"Thanks. Yours aren't bad, either."

"Hehe, thanks. They're a limited release."

Yugi mentally smacked himself on the forehead for such a foolish display of nerdiness before the man he was trying to impress. And for twenty two dreadful more steps, an awkward silence set in between the two in the deserted hallway.

"What's-"

"So, your-" Yami laughed. "You go first."

"No, you go first," insisted Yugi.

Yami smiled warmly.

"I was going to say, so your name's Yugi, right? That's a pretty unusual name."

"Yeah," Yugi blushed for the fourteenth time today, "my grandfather chose it. He's into Egypt and stuff..."

Something lit up in Yami's eyes. "Really?" He seemed genuinely interested for the first time. "What does he do?"

"Oh, nothing much. He holds a game shop. I help him sometimes," and Yugi cursed himelf mentally for speaking too much about himself, _again_. There was something in Yami's calm confidence that made Yugi just want to open up to him.

Yami kept the conversation going. "What kind of games?"

"Card games, board games, hum, there's also collectibles and stuff... Yeah..." Yugi was getting really animated. He just wished this conversation would never end. His first encounter with Yami was going pretty well, so far! In addition to being good looking and manly, he also happened to be genuinely nice, and Yugi was now close enough to confirm, smelled quite good.

"That's nice. I play Duel Monsters. Do you?"

Yugi beamed like a light saber. "I do! It's my favorite!"

The taller teenage chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "We should duel sometime," he dropped casually.

"C-cool! Yeah!" Yugi couldn't shake the silly grin off his face.

_Smooth_, thought Yugi to himself, _real smooth_.

They were two doors away from the make up exam room now.

"Well, it was nice getting to know you. Good luck on your exam, Yami." He hurriedly went for the doorknob but Yami's hand closed over his to close it back shut.

Yugi froze. Yami's hand! Over his own hand! They were touching!

"We could continue this conversation after the examination. If you want, of course."

Was he kidding? Talking about his favorite thing in the world to his new favorite person in the world? YES!

But the favor he'd agreed to do for Anzu popped in his mind at the same moment, which darkened his mood considerably.

"Huh, well I usually just head back home after school to help with the shop..." Which wasn't technically a lie. Grandpa always expected Yugi to assist him with the store whenever he was available. Yugi had even taken the habit of eating and doing his homework behind the till just so he could spend time around his grandpa. And card games, of course.

Yami took his hand back. Yugi wished he hadn't. He liked the warmth.

"Oh."

"I mean, we could head out together," Yugi amended.

Yami's smile returned to his lips, but there was a tinge of mischief to it this time.

"That's good. I'll be waiting for you here," he said as he pointed to his paperback.

Yugi wondered if it was the same as yesterday. It looked different! How could he read so many books _and_ go to school at the same time? Then, something clicked in his head.

"Wait, what do you mean you'll be waiting? You think you're quicker than I am?" Yugi was incredulous.

"Hm... Maybe I do. Prove me wrong," replied Yami before stepping into the classroom.

Yugi was on fire. He had double the incentive to get this trigonometry test over with quickly.

Yami had just tapped into Yugi's competitive spirit without knowing... Or was it intentional?


	5. Going to the Park

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**Chapter 5 **

Make up exams were typically easier than the original, and this one was no exception. Or maybe trigonometry problem solving didn't seem to Yugi like such an impressive feat anymore, now that he had just accomplished the even _greater_ feat of holding a decent conversation with his crush. Who finished first, as predicted, making Yugi grit his teeth. But it was nothing compared to Bryan, who was chewing his pencil so badly he'd surely ingested a good portion of it.

Now that he had lost their informal little contest, Yugi could afford to look out the window a bit. It looked like the rain had stopped. Some patches of asphalt were drying up here and there. Two squirrels were chasing each other erratically up and down the maple tree.

There was only one number left to solve on the exam. With resolve, Yugi rolled up his sleeves and solved the last problem, methodically, with neat and clear handwriting. He then put down his pen, closed his eyes, counted to ten, proofread the exam, corrected a few mistakes that caught his eye, made sure his name was written on the upper right hand corner of the exam and handed it in to the surveillant. Yugi strode out of the classroom, with the satisfaction that he had put every effort he could in the exam.

Yami was waiting, as promised, reading his book. He'd taken off his vest, using it as a mat to sit on.

"Your uniform!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Fine, thanks and you?" Yami replied jokingly. "The school uniform is easier to wash than those," he explained, pointing to his leather pants. "Judging from the smile on your face, I would guess the exam went well."

Yugi nodded.

"Ready to head out?"

Yugi nodded emphatically. "Where is your home?"

"Downtown." Yami began strolling casually towards the exit. Yugi had to walk a little faster because of his shorter legs. "What about you, Yugi?"

"Elmwood." Not a horrible neighbourhood, but not nearly as glamorous as Downtown Domino. "Which is ironic," he continued gleefully, "because I've never seen an actual elm tree in Elmwood. But it's still pretty far... I usually take the bus to get to school."

Yami pondered for a moment.

"I was thinking we could hang out a bit before we split and head home. What do you think?"

"Okay."

It was good to leave the school early on a Friday afternoon, and at least a good half-hour before everyone else with that!

There dry patches of asphalt were even larger now.

The earth smelled of rain.

The clouds were thinning up in places.

Yami looked up to see what Yugi was looking at, and saw nothing in particular that could explain the shine in Yugi's eyes.

They started walking at a leisurely pace, side by side, taking the main street with all the pretty shops.

Yugi was too shy to think of something to talk about. He didn't mind just being with Yami like this, either. Not saying anything, just relishing in his presence. He wondered what Yami was thinking about, and suddenly wanted to know if he had other friends, if he was knew to town, what his parents did for a living and what his hobbies were. He knew next to nothing about the transfer student - well, he wasn't a 'transfer' student anymore, just a regular student, maybe an acquaintance? - but didn't know where to start, what to ask first. Yugi didn't want to seem nosy, either.

They passed a small bookstore, and then Yugi knew.

"So what's your book about? Can I ask?" He turned to Yami.

"Of course you can ask," Yami replied merrily. "It's an introduction to phenomenology." The philosophical study of human conscience and experience. Kaiba had try to tell Yugi about it after one particularly intricate duel they had, but the CEO's speech mostly went from one ear to the other.

"Oh, you... are taking a philosophy class?"

"No, this book is for pleasure. But don't worry, I read novels too," he added quickly when Yugi looked at him with a 'are you human' look.

They stopped at a red street light. Yugi was taking in his surroundings; in contrast, Yami looked straight ahead of them, lost in thought.

"Oh! There's a secret park not far from here," dropped Yugi out of the blue. "Did you know?"

The dark, bleak look in Yami's eyes vanished before Yugi could notice it.

"A _secret_ park?" Yami sounded half-intrigued, half-amused.

"I'll show you! It's really small and secret, no one ever goes there except an old lady who feeds the pigeons. But she's nice. You'll see!"

Yami let out a genuine laugh. "Let's go, then."

It wasn't far away from here - only two blocks away from the main street, past the multi-coloured houses and the daycare that had tiny hand shapes painted on its windows. The park really was small, no bigger than a house lot. There was one tree in a middle, a few bushes at each corner and two pairs of benches facing each other.

Yugi watched Yami take in the surroundings. He couldn't decipher the taller teen's expression.

"It's pretty. Do you come here often?" Yami asked in a voice as opaque as his features.

Yugi suddenly felt self-conscious about revealing to someone he didn't know too well that he used to walk all the way here to have lunch alone before he met Anzu, Joey and Tristan. Thankfully, Yugi's growling stomach stepped in. "Oops," he giggled.

"Are you hungry by any chance?" Yami asked jokingly.

"I, um, I was nervous for the exam, so I didn't really eat anything at all today." For the exam. _Riiight_. Hopefully Yami wouldn't see through his lie.

But the taller teeange was smiling impishly at him, which surprised Yugi. What _was_ so funny?

"I've still got my lunch though. You can have some. If you want," Yugi amended quickly.

He undid his massive backpack, which Yami offered to hold from him (he couldn't lay it on any of the park benches, because they were covered in dew and raindrops) while Yugi methodically searched its content, looking for the one yummy thing Grandpa might have packed for him today.

Egg salad sandwich. No.

Baby carrots. Maybe. Lukewarm dip, no.

Individually wrapped cheese strings. M- no.

Then Yugi found the best snack he could hope to find.

"You like cherries?"

"I can never say no to cherries," admitted Yami.

He took his vest off, sprawled it on the ground like a picnic blanket for them to sit on. Yugi's eyes widened like saucepans.

"Your uniform!" The boy cried again.

"It really is no big deal," Yami reassured. Again.

'_But it costs money to dry clean it_', Yugi wanted to say but didn't because he'd sound just like his grandpa. He brought his hands to his mouth in surprise. He was too young to become an old man!

"No, really," Yami insisted, misunderstanding the reason behind Yugi's reaction, "it doesn't matter. Like I said, those pants are worth... more than the vest. Come and sit, Yugi."

Yugi secretly liked how Yami pronounced his name. He put a different ring to it, something like the hint of an accent from he didn't know where.

There was only so much space to sit on, and Yami's bent knee ended up grazing against Yugi's lower thigh, which made him blush. He turned away, pretending to be looking for something in his backpack. "Oh, uh, you can go ahead if you want," he added while handing him the plastic bag.

"Thank you."

Yugi pretended not to find what he'd pretended to be looking for, and grabbed a cherry with a bright green stem, nibbling on it shyly.

That's not how he usually ate cherries, though. It wasn't a very convenient way to go at it, with pinkish-red juice staining the tips of his fingers and everything. So he just popped the whole thing in his mouth, scraped the flesh off the pit with his teeth, and spit it. By reflex.

"Oops. Sorry," Yugi said with a sheepish grin.

Yami gave him a playfully suspicious glance, digging for another cherry just as Yugi was doing the same. Their knuckles touched; Yugi withdrew his hand precipitately.

Yami narrowed his eyes - or was that a wink? - and stuffed his mouth with two cherries at the same time. This surprised Yugi; Yami usually came off as this dignified, good-mannered person, not one who... Yugi's thoughts were interrupted when Yami spat both pits at the same time. His eyes widened like serving plates this time. Yami smile widely. Yugi was speechless. Yami went for the bag of cherries again.

"No! My turn," cut Yugi as he reached for the fruit before the other could. "I can make it past the bench over there," he declared with assurance.

"Oh really? I'd like to see that," taunted Yami.

"Watch me," grinned Yugi before popping the cherry into his mouth, chewing hurriedly.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, leaned back for momentum and sent the tiny pit flying at least four feet beyond the bench. He turned to Yami with a smug look on his face.

"Now beat that."

"Is this a challenge?" Yami asked, trying to, but failing to frown at Yugi.

"Only if you're game." Yugi felt his cheeks glow. He couldn't believe his audacity!

"Oh is that how it is?" Yami's frown had definitely turned into a smile.

Yugi motioned for the bag but Yami lightly stopped him by grabbing his wrist delicately, going for the bag himself, looking at Yugi knowingly.

His pit fell near Yugi's.

"I won," Yami declared smugly.

"No way. You've got no proof."

"Then let's say I've evened you out. No contest."

"Hey you can't decide that! It's not over yet!" Yugi protested, oblivious to the fact that Yami was teasing him.

"You have to outmatch me, in that case."

"You can't tell me what to do. Besides," he added "I _will_ outmatch you," added triumphantly. "Every time," he added, leaning toward Yami for emphasis.

"Prove it," said the other one with a bright, but confident smile.

"Oh, it's on," declared Yugi with an impish grin.


	6. A Letter

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>**by Black Cherry Bomb  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh! Kazuki Takahashi does. I am writing this for fun, not for profit. **

**A/N Thanks for the wonderful reviews! They keep me going! Cherry**

**Chapter 6 **

Yugi gathered his pencil case, trigonometry textbook and a dozen loose leaf sheets. He then stacked a plate with a jam an peanut butter sandwich, a banana and a glass of milk on top of it all and headed downstairs, holding the whole thing one handed. He was used to doing this after four years of helping grandpa with the shop. They lived together on the second floor of the building; the store was at ground level.

Opening hours wouldn't begin until ten but Yugi like to get settled well in advance. Plus, it wasn't unusual for his friends to come in early to visit him. He thus wasn't surprised to see the trio waiting for him at the door. Joey, Tristan and Anzu were having an animated discussion, sa usual. Yugi could hear their laughter through the glass panel. He disarmed the alarm system and opened the door for them.

"Guess who's got a _love letter_ from Kaiba?" Joey asked grinning like _that_ uncle who found himself really funny during family gatherings.

"Hey! Don't read my mail," Yugi reproached, ignoring Joey's tasteless joke. He was keen on calling Kaiba all sorts of names, none of them having any ground. Joey was more interested in his distaste for Kaiba than in the CEO himself; he could actually be gay, for that matter, and the blond wouldn't even notice.

Yugi tried to snatch the envelope from the blond, in vain. He held it over the shorter boy's head, mercilessly.

"You could at least say thanks. I picked up your mail for you, I didn't actually read the thing, yanno."

Yugi's short height made it impossible for him to retrieve anything Joey didn't want him to have, so he just stood back, folded his arms, and waited.

"I know, I know, I was just kidding. Thank you and can I have my mail now?"

Joey shook his head. 'No.'

"What's he saying?" Tristan asked while Joey gave the envelope a good look over.

Yugi knew the letter didn't actually come from Seto himself. It was plain old commercial mail from KaibaCorp, whose products were sold in the store. The envelope was addressed to Mr Mutou, from The Kame Game shop. If it didn't specify 'owner' on it, it was really meant for Yugi. They received a lot of mail from different companies in the gaming industry, and the younger Mutou was usually the one attending the events.

"Don't be a dick, Joey," said Anzu.

"That could be an invoice," Yugi lied deftly. "I don't think grandpa would appreciate..."

"_Dear Sir or Madam_- what, is he stupid? Doesn't he know who you are?" Joey didn't miss an opportunity to try and belittle Kaiba, even in his absence.

"It was probably written on a default template by his secretary," Anzu said flatly, clearly unimpressed. What she perceived as immaturity from Joey's part was starting to get on her nerves.

"_Your presence is cordially required at the KaibaCorp headquarters on a time of your choice between 2PM and 4PM on Sunday the 3rd_..." Joey mumbled a few sentences- "... _to come with your monster deck of your choice. Refreshments will be served_." Joey threw his hands in the air. "What the frac is this?"

"He just wants to duel him," Anzu snapped as she subtilized the letter from his hand in a moment of inattention. She handed it to Yugi, who immediately tried to flatten out out the creases in the paper.

"Why don't I ever get invited to duel with Kaiba?" Joey complained. "I mean, I qualified for the Junior Super last year." This was a sore memory for Joey, because he lack of funds prevented him from signing up. That is, if any of his legal guardians would have given consent. A glum look ran across his face.

"Why couldn't he just ask him at school? Yugi and Kaiba are in every class together," remarked Tristan.

"Except for gym," added Anzu and Joey in unison just before laughing out loud.

"Hahaha," Yugi deadpanned, "thank you very much for reminding me." He flipped the 'CLOSED' sign to 'OPEN', ignoring his friends in a vain attempt to nurse his pride.

"We're not laughing at you, buddy," said Joey who looked anything but apologetic.

"Yeah, we're just laughing because we said the same thing at the same time! We don't care that you scored in your own team's net last year in soccer," Anzu added, wiping a tear at the corner of her eye. She and Joey looked at each other knowingly, trying to suppress a smile.

"... Twice," added Tristan, which caused the three of them to burst out laughing.

"Augh! I get it! I get it, okay! I suck at sports," he said surly before walking away from the trio to straighten a few stray chairs at the dueling tables.

Many minutes and too many retellings of Yugi's achievements in the athletics department later, the boys settled at their usual table near the back.

But not Anzu.

She stood in the doorway. "Oh, guys, I forgot my deck," she announced casually. Which was inconvenient, because they were now three duelists instead of four, and Yugi usually didn't play when there was an odd number of players and that he was manning the shop.

"Oh come on! I don't wanna have to duel just Tristan," Joey whined. "Yugi?" He asked pleadingly.

The boy shook his head. It wouldn't be convenient for Joey to have to pause the duel and wait wait for Yugi to process the purchase of a random costumer, do small talk with a regular patron who as just dropping by, or to arrange an appraisal for someone's cards.

"Hey! Who says _I_ wanna spend my morning playing a beginner?" Tristan shot back.

"Say that again?" Joey slammed his deck on the table.

Soon Yugi and Anzu realized they weren't a part of that thing that boys did where they were fighting but not really, which was okay since Yugi had to catch up with the trig class he'd missed yesterday. He was hoping Anzu brought her notes with her, but the look on her face indicated that she had a lot more on her mind than the Pythagorean theorem.

"So what'd he say?" She asked as they walked towards the till, at the other end of the shop. They settled behind together on the stools behind the counter - grandpa didn't like it, usually spent his Saturday mornings visiting his friends who lived in homes and wouldn't be back until late afternoon.

Yugi's movements slowed down as he tried to wrap his mind around what his friend just asked him.

"He said..." Yugi repeated, trying to buy some time while peeling his banana. '_He_'?

"You know," pressed Anzu, lowering her voice so that the boys couldn't hear, "Yami! Did you get to talk to him?"

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "You mean... Yes, I got to talk to Yami after the exam. I, uh... You..." The promise of sorts he had made to her completely slipped his mind. He couldn't help it - he was just so happy that Yami'd pick him to hang out after the school! They'd had a really good time, too, and Yugi felt ashamed that he secretly didn't want to share that with anyone.

"I wrote him a note. If you could hand it to him..."

The pretty piece of paper she handed Yugi wasn't just 'a note'. It was a pretty baby pink envelope with lace like patterns on the brim. Nothing was written on it, but Yugi was sure that Anzu had used her prettiest handwriting to write the letter inside. A rare, unashamed display of femininity on her part. This crush was getting serious.

"Why me?" Yugi couldn't hide that he didn't want the chore.

"Well since you told him about me," she explained, "I figured... You know..."

Yugi's jaw fell a little. His mouth went dry. Through wishful thinking, Anzu had assumed from Yugi's evasive answer that he had fulfilled his duty. That's what she badly wanted to hear. He wouldn't have lied to her, but he didn't have the heart to disprove her now that she was convinced her good friend was playing cupid for her.

"A- a letter? Don't you think that's a little early?" _Yes, that might work_. "Maybe you could try talking to him first," he suggested. _Well played_. He'd get rid of the treacherous responsibility _and_ give her a chance to try and win Yami by herself. It hurt, but it gave Yugi small comfort: he wouldn't find it fair not to let her at least try, and he would never, ever get in her way if he saw she really had a chance to hit it off with Yami.

"Oh, I've actually talked to him yesterday. I wasn't planning to tell you about this, but... He told me that I was a really good friend for standing by your side and that he really admired what I did for you in class. He was so modest, too, he didn't take any credit for what he did. He's so... Oh, Yugi, you have no idea..." She sighed.

Oops. Not good.

Yugi didn't know what hurt more, the strange feeling of betrayal tugging at his chest, or the enamored look on his friend's face.


	7. Sunday Evening

A/N -** This chapter was harder to write than the previous ones, and this update was a bit slower - they going to be slow for the next few weeks - but you can keep track of the story's progress on my tumblr (see link on my profile) and while you're there, you can gaze at beautiful puzzleshipping fanart! Thanks for your lovely reviews and support! - **Cherry

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**Chapter 7 **

The dreaded pink envelope laid on his desk, next to his pencil case. Yugi removed it from his sight, stashing it away between two textbooks inside his backpack.

What was he going to do?

Would he give it to Yami?

And what about Anzu? The stronger his attraction for Yami grew, the more he felt like he was betraying her. His closest friend. Joey and Tristan were his best buds. That was different; there was a whole category of topics he just couldn't touch on with them.

He could always give the letter back to Anzu, but it would mean going against his word - he tacitly accepted to play go-between when he accepted the letter.

He could also just hand it to Yami and maintain his most precious friendship intact. At least he'd have a clear conscience and nothing to regret. The worst feeling would be to feel like he'd damaged a friendship.

Then again, what if Yami replied? What if he, too, was interested in Anzu? And the two of them hit it off? Anzu's letters were pretty efficient for some reason. A guy once told Yugi that he didn't see Anzu as girlfriend material until he read her love letter. It showed her 'feminine side', apparently. How did the whole gay thing worked? Did gay guys look for another guy's feminine side at all? Yugi knew what he liked in a guy and it wasn't femininity, rather, strength and confidence. What could Yugi possibly offer to another guy, or anyone for that matter? He was neither feminine nor masculine.

Yet he couldn't help but wish he and Yami become an item.

_Ah, don't be ridiculous_, Yugi told himself. All this self-doubting is pointless. Like he would ever dare to confess to Yami or anyone else. Coming out would be plain social suicide. Joey and Tristan probably wouldn't want to stick by him. And if Anzu learned that he was after her crush, she might drop him, too.

Yugi was scared.

He couldn't focus on the chapter he was reading. His eyes were dry and itchy and it was only six in the evening.

Sleep. He needed sleep.

His last two nights were spent wide awake, filled with the memory of Yami throwing his head back in a kingly bout of laughter, his knee pressing into Yugi's thigh. He missed the smell of wet earth and grass and dead leaves at the park, the way Yami's thin, dark lips closed around the ripe fruit, how the pale complexion of his slender arms clashed with the silky black tank top, the one he wore underneath the vest of his school uniform instead of the prescribed blue and white polo shirt.

Out the window Yugi saw daylight fading away. Traffic was thinning. People were going back to their homes.

He wondered where Yami was. What did he typically do on Sunday evenings? Was he surrounded with people Yugi didn't know? People from high school? Was he having a lavish dinner with his parents at a downtown restaurant? He did look sort of wealthy. His family was probably well off.

Or maybe, maybe Yami was alone in his bedroom, engulfed in his philosophy book. He might have already finished the philosophy one and moved on to another topic. Maybe he was reading a novel. Or studying for school. Yugi only ever read manga and comics. Did Yami read comics, too? Probably not. Yugi didn't seem the kind of person who would indulge in that.

Then again, he didn't look like the kind of person to take part in a cherry pit spitting contest, either...

The smell of tomato sauce and meatballs reached Yugi's nose. Dinner was about to be served. He'd finish reading this paragraph, then go help set the table.

"Dinner's ready!"

Well, trigonometry could always wait. "Coming!"

His grandfather was pouring spaghetti sauce on a heap of pasta. The table was already set, even the glasses were filled with water. His back was deteriorating, so Yugi thought it unusual for the old man to be doing all the work by himself.

"You should have called me earlier! I would have helped you!"

"Oh, it's nothing. You've been having a rough week and all." Grandpa handed him the bread and butter platter for Yugi to bring to the table and followed his grandson with their two spaghetti dishes in hand.

"Not particularly," shrugged Yugi.

Sugoroku Mutou didn't hear, busy muting the television set.

"So, tell me about your week," Grandpa asked, seating himself at the table, as if he hadn't heard Yugi's answer.

"Nothing much," rephrased Yugi. He did his best to be patient with his grandfather. He owed him so much.

"Is your head doing any better?"

"I'm fine, really. I haven't had anymore headaches since Wednesday." Yugi simply explained that a terrible headache sprouted in the middle of the exam. It was a case of bad timing. His grandfather and legal guardian didn't need to know about the near-fight, the bullying, the fantasies he's been having about another boy. No, he definitely didn't need to know about that part.

Sugoroku gave his grandson a pensive look, shook his head and dug in his own plate. Yugi grinned, happily munching on a meatball. He didn't want the old man to worry about him.

The phone rang.

"Can I get it?"

The old man motioned for him to do so, which prompted the teen to jump off his chair. He grabbed the receiver just in time, right after the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Yugi?" A feminine voice asked. Who else? Did he sound like his grandfather?

"Speaking."

"Oh, hey Yugi, it's me."

Grandpa raised his eyebrows at Yugi as if to ask 'who is it', and Yugi mouthed 'Anzu'. The old man frowned and took a sip of water.

"We're eating right now, can I call you back later?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could come over." Yugi glanced at his Grandpa, chewing on his pasta surly, reading the written newsreel that was scrolling on the TV set. "Just a few minutes." That was technically impossible, because evenings - or any time spent with Anzu tended to drag on an on, but her voice was pressing.

"I don't know... I'll ask. Grandpa, can Anzu come over? We're going to study together," he added for good measure.

Grandpa waved his hand at Yugi in approval, his gaze glued to the television.

"Yeah, it's all good."

"Thanks Yugi. I'll be over in half an hour."

When Yugi sat back at the table, Grandpa's mood had lowered considerably. Probably someone he disliked was being talked about in the news. Why did he even watch the news? It always made Grandpa unhappy about one thing or another.

Yugi ate in silence, so that he could do some math before Anzu arrived. There was no way they were actually going to do any homework together.

Grandpa seemed absorbed in the moving images on the screen.

Soon Yugi was done. He poured himself some more milk to drink while Grandpa finished his plate. He hated to excuse himself from the table when the old man wasn't done with his plate.

"You know, men and women are different," dropped Grandpa out of the blue.

"Erm..." Yugi was at a loss for words. Where did that come from exactly?

"They think differently, you know."

Yugi wasn't sure he wanted to know what his grandfather had in mind or where this whole conversation was going.

"Yeah, well I guess we'll never know for sure, huh. I'll go prepare for Anzu now." He got up, cleared the table and left.

Yugi started to tidy up his already very neat room. He swapped his neat shirt for a more comfortable Power Rangers t-shirt and hopped into his pajama pants. After all, that was what best friends were for, right? He liked being around Anzu because they could be comfortable around one another.

He was hopping into his last pant sleeve when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Yugi rushed downstairs and greeted a rather quiet Anzu at the backdoor of the shop.

It was dark out and she looked cold, as if she had walked all the way here. These early winter nights were rapidly getting colder, even in the absence of snow.

"Oh hey, Anzu. Come on in. I'll make some hot chocolate."

"Thanks." She sniffled and took her shoes off.

They jogged upstairs to the 'apartment' part of the building. Anzu gave grandpa a quick hello and dashed to Yugi's bedroom without taking her coat on. The old man didn't notice her presence.

Yugi grabbed the hot chocolate powdered mix and electric kettle from the kitchen. "Where are you going with this, Yugi?"

"Erm... To my bedroom..." Yugi knew he wouldn't get away with this; he knew he wasn't supposed to take appliances to his bedroom. Silly rule, but his grandfather hated when it was not followed.

"I thought we could make hot chocolate together."

"You can make it together in the kitchen," grumbled the old man.

"It's not the same," replied Yugi with a pout. "It's okay, I don't mind," he amended precipitately when he saw his grandfather's frown deepen. He didn't want this to become a 'you should even be grateful I let you have friends over on a Sunday night' discussion. He set the tap to 'cold' and began filling the kettle.

He wondered why Anzu had rushed into his bedroom like that. Not that he minded; his home was her home. He trusted her. It just... wasn't like her. She wasn't being herself these days.

Yugi waited patiently for the water to boil; Grandpa didn't like it, either, when he left things unattended. Even though it was harmless and safe to let the kettle run while he went in his bedroom to check on his guest, Yugi didn't do it just to appease his grandfather. It was annoying, having to follow the old man's whims, but that was also the reason why he was trusted with looking after the shop in his stead and all kinds of other related responsibilities.

In other words, he worked everyday, steadily, to earn and maintain his grandfather's trust.

He prepared the hot drinks, two scoops of the sweet powder in his mug and three for Anzu because she liked it sweeter. She was waiting for him in his bedroom, seated all proper like at the corner of his bed. Her coat was strewn on the comforter; her fingers were fiddling with a suspiciously thick notebook.

"Be careful, it's hot," warned Yugi before sitting at his desk.

Anzu sniffled again just as she took hold of her mug.

"Are you alright?"

For a moment there she did not answer, just blowing the heat off her hot chocolate. Yugi eyed the notebook suspiciously. Another sniffle. Anzu lifted her head and Yugi saw her face for the first time tonight. Her eyes were red and bloated.

"I've been thinking about Yami all weekend." She wiped her left cheek with the back of her hand.

Yugi waited. Now wasn't the time to speak up.

"I just... I can't help myself, Yugi. I think I really love him. I know that's kind of crazy. I've never felt like that about anyone before. I just wish..."

Yugi cast another glance at the notebook. He took a prudent sip of his hot chocolate, waiting for Anzu to continue. Not that he wanted to hear the exact mirror version of what he'd been feeling and thinking, about the same person to boot, but he wanted to be there for Anzu, to listen to her.

"Like, he's totally dreamy, don't you think?"

"Hm... I guess." Why was he trying to hide his attraction? That he didn't feel comfortable enough to talk about his crush with his closest friend was just... plain wrong. Something was amiss. "Yeah, what he did was nice. He looks like a nice guy." At the store yesterday, Yugi hadn't revealed how he'd taken Yami to his own private little alcove in the heart of the city. He realized as he thought this (not without a pang of guilt) that he hadn't even taken Anzu there in the past. He wasn't even sure he'd ever mention the small park to any of his friends.

"Yeah. You're so lucky you got to talk to him after the exam."

"Yeah, I guess." Yugi's lips thinned into a contrite smile. It wasn't too late to come clean and tell her about the one on one time he had with Yami...

But no.

Somehow, the selfish part of him wanted to keep Yami to himself. And it wasn't exactly a treason to their friendship if he kept it from Anzu. Just because Anzu shares everything with him didn't mean he had to do the same. It wasn't a bad thing to have one's own secret garden... Literally.

She sniffled with more resolve before speaking up again. "Do you think you could do me a really, really big favor, Yugi? It would really mean the world to me."

She set the mug on the floor and opened the notebook. Inside were a stack of sheets folded in half, the same format as the envelope she gave him the day before. "You can wedge them inside the envelope I gave you yesterday. It isn't sealed."

Huh-oh.

Things were getting serious.

Wait - he hadn't even delivered the first letter yet. Was he going to have to play messenger indefinitely?

Why wasn't he allowed to write and deliver his own letters for once?

Oh, wait - because _he_ wasn't planning on confessing to Yami, that's why.


	8. Alpha Male

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N I was able to update earlier than expected! Yay! :D  
><strong>Breaking news **- **_**Bowl of Cherries**_** has been nominated for **_**Best Puzzleshipping Story Contest**_** - December tier! Thanks to sefina for the nomination! :D This makes me really, really happy. :3  
><strong>Update specific notes**: There will be some slightly coarser language in this chapter. You can expect the rating of this story to increase steadily over the course of the next chapters, due to language, themes, etc. I'll post warnings when applicable. Thanks for the wonderful reviews! They keep me going! Cherry**

**Chapter 8 **

The Domino High school cafeteria was notorious for its record high ound levels, rivaling those usually encountered in rock concerts. And while lunch had always been a dreadful time of the day for Yugi in his lonelier days, this was no longer the case. Nested amongst his three best friends he felt at ease enough to relax a little and even stomach his food from time to time. At this very moment, he was focused on splicing a particularly thick string of his cheese stick turned edible octopus. Consequently, he didn't notice Yami inviting himself to their table, stealthily slipping in the seat between himself and a group of wannabe prom queens, and also...

Right in front of Joey.

"May I join-"

"It's taken," the blond snapped. "Find someplace else to eat your salad." Indeed, Yami's tray was a rarity in that it had something actually _healthy_ on it. But that was beside the point.

Anzu intervened before Yami could speak up. "It's not! You can sit with us!"

Yugi's head snapped up. "Yami!" He didn't really know what else to say. Joey, on the other hand, did. He always had something to say about something.

"Who the fuck are you?" He stared Yami down with narrow eyes.

"He's the guy I told you about!" Anzu cried, terrified that her friend's overprotective behavior was threatening to chase her crush away.

Something clicked in Yugi's head. He asked Anzu to keep the 'fag' incident to herself... But if Joey knew... That meant...

"Anzu!" He cried in turn. Yugi couldn't believe she'd told them about that! How embarrassing!

"Sorry," the girl replied meekly.

"Joey, why do you always got to be an ass?" Tristan pitched in. "Let the guy be. _Maybe_ not everyone is intent on making Yugi's life miserable, y'know," he added with a bit of sarcasm, which was rare for the brunet.

Yami merely watched as the argument grew in intensity.

"Don't - Not in front of Yugi, guys!"

"What- What are you... I don't understand..." Yugi's meek complaint went under the radar.

"Well thanks for _pointing it out now_, Missus," replied Joey with snark, which made Anzu blush two shades of red deeper than normal.

"Guys! Seriously! Just shut up, guys," Tristan started.

"Stop telling us to shut up!" Joey and Anzu yelled back at the same time.

Setting himself apart from the escalating argument, Yami nudged Yugi's shoulder to grab his attention.

"I can tell your friends really like you," he remarked.

"Why do you say that?" Yugi asked, puzzled.

Yami merely smiled. "Nothing."

Their secret conversation went completely unnoticed. The trio was too busy biting each other's heads off to care.

"How come you start eating so late into lunch time?" Yugi asked innocently, realizing a second later that might not have been an appropriate question to ask.

"What about you? Why do you eat so little of your food?" Yami shot back jokingly.

"I'm never really hungry. I have a small appetite. Like my mother," he added with a half-smile. "Besides I don't really like these," he pointed out to the individually wrapped snacks jumbled together in his lunch box. "I mean, I used to like them, but I've gotten fed up with eating them through middle and high school. I don't have the heart to tell Grandpa. Do you want some?" He casually held out a fruit roll and a chocolate chip cookie.

"No, but thanks. Are you looking forward to math?"

"Math? Oh, I don't really like math." _Well, I like that class a little more now that you're in it..._ "You? I'm really curious to see how I did on the exam."

"I'm not worried about you," said Yami. "Say, would you be up for another walk after school today? I doubt the teacher will give any homework."

Yugi pretended to ponder for a moment. While on the surface, his features were calm, his mind screamed '_yes! but no! what about the letter? augh!_'

In the end, he nodded. "Yeah, I could take the five thirty bus at the station," he thought out loud. Paying for city bus fare was a nice compromise between missing an opportunity to see Yami and having to walk all the way back home. "We could meet up-" _after class_, Yugi was about to say, but Joey burst into their conversation.

"It's okay man, you can sit here," he announced.

Yami's eyebrows raised in surprise. Well he'd _been_ sitting right here for the last five minutes anyway, but it was nice to have the seal of approval of the group's alpha male. "Thank you. My name is Yami."

"Joey. Nice to meetcha." He stood up and held out his hand for Yami to shake.

"Likewise," replied Yami, clasping the rough hand in his own, lithe but strong. Their eyes locked. It was obvious that Joey was still trying to seize up the stranger. Yami's gaze, on the other hand, was completely unreadable, calm, neutral.

The two parted, but the tension remained. Anzu got the ball rolling and began asking Yami mundane questions like where he was from and how he liked it in Domino, just to get some light conversation started.

This was a group conversation again, deplored Yugi, zooming out while Yami and Tristan were introducing each other. _But it's okay_, he then thought, because that meant Yami would makes more friends! It must be hard to come to a new school in the middle of the year, when cliques and alliances were already cemented.

"Well, I've got to go now. But I'll be seeing you around." He nodded to everyone, in no particular order, then stood up as gracefully as he'd sat, and left.

"He hasn't even touched his plate," exclaimed Anzu.

"Anorexic," Joey muttered.

"I heard that! Be nice to him!"

"I _was_ nice to him, Missus. Don't expect me to _like_ him."

"Stop calling me Miss-"

"Okay, well, we better get going, I guess," declared Tristan.

"Me too. I'll see you in trig, Yugi!" Anzu chirped, a notch too happy. He knew it wasn't just him she'd be happy to see again during the last period.

The group gathered their stuff and went their own separated ways. The boys were going to English; Anzu had Drama and Yugi had Health Ed, or Health Education, a strange mix of psychology, human biology and social science. Topics covered in that class ranged from 'go vote' to 'this is how drugs mess up your brain' to 'how to wear a condom' to 'how to plan your budget'. Needless to say, that class was source to a whole lot of awkward moments. Thankfully though, it was easy, and the teacher gave really good grades if you participated in the group discussions.

In Health Ed, Yugi was surprised to see Yami sitting in the back row - with a paperback different than the one he was reading Friday. Yugi walked up to him and plopped on the vacant chair at his desk, intent on chatting him up a little before leaving for his own usual seat at the other end of the classroom.

"Oh hi. I didn't know you were in this class, too!"

Yami seemed genuinely surprised for a split second, then regained his normal cool demeanor.

"Hello again," he said warmly, folding his book shut, middle finger keeping the page. From a glance Yugi noticed he was halfway through reading it. "I didn't know you were, either. That's a pleasant surprise."

Yugi did it again - the blush. It was faint still, it could be quelled - quick! Find something casual to say!

"You're... reading a new book! What is it about?" On the bland side, but a nice save nonetheless.

"Out of body experience," said Yami simply. He showed Yugi the book cover. The edges weren't worn out at all, as if the book came straight from the store.

Yugi blinked. "I don't know what that is," he admitted in equal simplicity.

Yami gave him one of his signature 'amused smiles'. "I've never had a class like this, what's it like?"

"Oh, the teacher is nice," replied Yugi who wanted to smack himself on the forehead, because that wasn't really an answer to his question. "I mean, it's about all sorts of stuff..." Darn it, why did he always sound like an idiot when talking to Yami? "You'll see. But don't worry. It's easy," he assured, giving a quick glance in the direction of the seat he usually sat at to see that it was...

Taken.

Oops.

Unlike most classes, such as trigonometry, this one didn't have a fixed seating charts. The teacher liked to have students sitting at different spots each class, so that it could foster exchanges with different people each time.

The class was filling up quickly and Yugi didn't know what to do. Was he going to have to sit next to Yami the whole class?

Oh God.

Yugi wasn't sure he could withstand it. His mind would run wild and he wouln't be able to help but cast surreptitious glances in Yami's direction throughout the class. Yugi felt so hot he was about to break in cold sweat.

"Is something the matter?" Yami asked.

Yami always seemed to see through his internal struggles, however brief they were. Yugi felt so transparent in his company!

"N-no," the boy replied nervously, settling in his, seat, unpacking the contents of his schoolbag neglectfully. "Do you- is it okay if I sit here?"

"Of course!" Yami sounded too readily sincere for Yugi's comfort zone.

Yugi's hands fumbled and two of his school manuals fell flat on the ground. Yami picked up the first one (and Yugi got a sublime whiff of the fruity shampoo lingering in his hair), revealing the you-know-what that was wedged between the two books.

Huh-oh.

The envelope, anonymous and shamefully pink, stood out like a hippopotamus in a tulip field.

Yugi picked it up mechanically. His mouth went dry. His gaze, suddenly desperate, met Yami's.

"This..." Yugi started, swallowing. '_Don't!_' His heart called out. '_Don't let him have it!_' Yugi felt a pang of guilt - he didn't want to help Anzu have him. It was completely irrational, but he couldn't help himself.

"Secret admirer?" Yami asked with a smirk that rendered Yugi completely defenseless.

Me? Yugi's eyes widened in panic. _Am not!_ Technically yes, but he musn't know! So Yami thought the letter was from Yugi. He hadn't considered that possibility. Things couldn't get any worse! Yugi wanted to look around to make sure no one was seeing him like this, holding out a desperately girly love letter to another male, but he couldn't move. His body wouldn't obey.

"You must be getting a lot of these," Yami continued. "A cute boy like you... I'm not surprised."

Yugi heard a wolf whistle coming from somewhere, and then his brain stopped working.


	9. The Note

**A Bowl of Cherries**

by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N I wanted to say huge thanks again to everyone who reviewed the story, added it to their favorites and/or their alerts, and those of you who simply enjoy reading it! Cherry**

**Chapter 9**

Yugi instantly caught sight of Anzu's glare when he entered the trigonometry classroom...

A few steps ahead of Yami.

But not _with_ Yami.

"Hello Yugi," she said in an uncharacteristically low voice as he sat next to her, timidly waving back to Yami as he walked by him, but without making eye contact.

"So how was Health Ed?" Anzu pressed on.

Yugi didn't know what to say. He was even impressed he'd _made it_ out of Health Ed and into trig. His legs still felt like gelly.

He did his best to look, act and talk normal, as if Yami hadn't called him cute, and especially, as if he hadn't pretended nothing happened when it happened - as if he hadn't spent the rest of his Health Ed class in a supreme state of awkwardness.

"Oh, just a review session. We've got a test next class."

"Huh huh."

"And I got my essay back. I didn't do as well as I thought."

"Okay."

That - that was not your usual Anzu. She was more... _involved_ in her conversations. Something was amiss and Yugi had no idea what. "Anzu-"

"Okay, class," the teacher stated loudly, which startled Yugi. "I'm going to hand you back your exams in alphabetical order. Jessie Armstrong..."

"Anzu, what's wrong?" he started again, whispering this time.

She didn't look at him.

Hm.

Was she mad at him?

What for?

Being ignored certainly wasn't fun. Yugi did his best not to glance at Yami and Kaiba at the back of the class. He began upacking his schoolbag, knowing that Anzu wouldn't give him the silent treatment for too long after all.

When her name - Mazaki - was called, she stood up, walked to the teacher and asked for Yugi's copy as well, which she brought back with her, meaning she wasn't angry anymore, but too proud to say it outwardly.

Yugi nodded gratefully. He didn't dare look at the grade he got just yet, afraid that the state of mind he was in when he'd done the exam affected his performance. Yet there was nothing to do but wait until everyone had gotten their copies back and Anzu still didn't seem inclined to talk to him. A bit bored, because he'd done today's due exercises in advance, Yugi looked around at his fellow classmates, risking a glance in Yami's direction.

He was, predictably, reading his book, legs crossed, next to Kaiba whose electronic gear encroached Yami's desk completely. Yami, as usual, didn't seem to mind. Or rather, he didn't seem to notice at all.

Yugi wasn't in the mood to pay attention to class or to anyone else for that matter. Finally, he dared looking at his exam. B+. Whew. Not so bad. Well, kind of bad, but not so much that it would drag his average down too much. Where had things gone wrong?

A lime green post-it note landed on the exam page he was about to flip. He glanced at Anzu, then at the teacher who was reviewing the exam, number by number, and once he made sure the teacher wouldn't notice him with the note, he read it.

"you didn't tell me you were in health ed together"

The accusatory tone of the note made something cold fall into the pit of his stomach; seeing the word 'together' made his heart flutter inside his chest.

Yugi's shoulders drooped. He crumbled the note by reflex, which caught Anzu's attention. She frowned at him and opened her mouth to mouth something but someone chose that precise moment to poke her on the shoulder. It was Bryan, who laconically handed Anzu a note that was clearly not from him (from who knows whom, he frankly didn't care). She opened it just barely and flapped it shut the second after, bringing a hand to her chest.

Whatever was written on this little piece of paper lightened Anzu's mood considerably. She turned to Yugi with an earnest smile and hugged him spontaneously, which rendered Yugi speechless.

The hug had already ended when the teacher threw a 'okay, lovebirds, keep it outside the classroom please' on the side before going back to his explanations.

Anzu seemed so happy she didn't bother - or notice - that the teacher had mistakenly labeled her and Yugi 'an item'. Teachers were so out of phase with youth anyway.

She was staring at an invisible point in space. Yugi'd lost her again, but this time it was not anger who stole his best friend's attention, it was some other unspecified emotion that looked really pleasant and that he too wanted to experience all of a sudden.

The teacher asked Yugi a question, and our hero was whisked into the fascinating world of trigonometry once again.

Towards the end of the class the students were left to their own devices - they could spend their time whichever way they wanted, as long as they did so in silence. Some people packed their bags and stared at the clock blandly until the bell rang; others doodled and passed notes, Yugi usually got started on his homework or did readings for other classes.

Today though, he was in the mood for disobedience. He tore the corner of a loose leaf sheet and scribbled down a note for Anzu to read.

"What happened?"

She couldn't suppress a smile when she read it, and replied immediately on the back of the sheet.

"you're the best"

And then there were three little x's.

Yugi didn't have the faintest idea what was going on.

He did know that he was not, on the other hand, the good friend that he was thought to be.

Sooner or later, he'd have to give the letter back.

But not now. Not in class; somewhere private. Somewhere they could talk. Yugi had a lot of things on his chest. Not just about the letter. About... everything.

The five remaining minutes of trig of the school day and of his state of 'not being with Yami yet' felt like waiting for a late bus in a heat wave.

Unbearable.

He couldn't resist a glace in Yami's direction. To Yugi's surprise, he was looking back at him. And smiled.

Yugi swallowed and tried to smile back. It came out as a pained rictus.

He turned away, not even trying to quell his furious blush. He spied on Anzu - she hadn't seen a thing.

Still no clue as to what _she_ was thinking about.

Yugi wanted to turn to Yami again - and felt stupid for it. The idea of calling off crossed his mind. _I can't go with you anymore! I have homework to do! I have to help my grandpa at the store! _But all of these sounded stupid, and very obviously false.

The bell rang.

Anzu packed her stuff and gingerly walked up to Yami's desk, while everyone else was rushing to get out the door.

Yugi's eyes widened in horror as she struck conversation with him.

He didn't want to know what they were saying. Impulsively, he plugged his ears, looking at the two most important people in his life talking together without him. For some reason, the concept drove him crazy. He unplugged them the moment Yami turned to see him.

"Would you like to join us?" Yugi hear the taller teenage ask Anzu.

"Um..." She looked at Yugi hesitantly. Clearly she had not been expecting Yugi and Yami having some one on one scheduled time together after school. "No, maybe some other time. I'll give you my phone number, hold on." She pretended to fumble through her pockets for a little note Yugi knew she had been carrying since last week just for that moment. "Here."

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Y-yeah, bye." She gave Yugi a blank look and a blander 'bye, Yugi' before leaving the classroom in a hurry. The teacher was done packing his own belongings and headed out as well.

"Turn off the lights when you leave, will you Yugi?" He glanced at Yami. "See you two tomorrow."

They were now alone in the classroom, except for Kaiba who was just done fitting everything into his suitcase and strode towards the exit. Yami barred his way with the back of hand - who came hitting Seto's chest. In Yami's hand, the paperback, read in its entirety (Yugi presumed).

"You know my distaste for physical contact," said the brunet, annoyed. He stared Yami down, expecting him to remove the book - _and the hand_ - from his chest.

Yugi's eyebrows raised at the unexpected familiarity between the two males. If Anzu's interactions with Yami made him feel uncomfortable, witnessing this made him stiffen with envy. So strange; if Joey, for example, did so much as flick, say, Yugi's eraser in Seto's direction, the direct consequence for the blond was a black eye, regardless of the accuracy of Joey's aim.

Here, Seto was perfectly still, albeit stiff, under Yami's bold move. Who actually wasn't a move at all; Seto was still waiting for him to withdraw his hand.

"It was a nice read," replied Yami nonchalantly. He smiled in triumph when Seto gave up and grasped the book himself.

The whole ordeal was happening as if Yugi wasn't even there; he sat and waited for exchange to be over, not knowing how else to react.

"Any reason why you couldn't have given me this before I stowed my gear away?"

"I have my reasons," Yami smirked.

"Good for you," concluded Seto with the amount of interest a cat has for... anything, before walking out on him.

"I don't have anything to read tonight," added Yami.

Seto didn't stop. "Time to try this thing called 'television'," he deadpanned before disappearing into the hallway.

No more Anzu, no more Seto, no more anyone else in the classroom but Yugi and his thinly concealed crush.

The shorter boy waited to be addressed. Guilt prevented him from speaking up to Yami.

He... hated the way he'd acted towards Yami in Health Ed. He should've said something. But what do you say when your same sex crush calls you _cute_ - in a half joking way, in front of the whole class?

Right now, said crush was chuckling to some private joke.

"Seto and I have an understanding," he explained.

"Oh." Yugi had no idea what just happened, and no idea what Yami could mean by that. He was intrigued, though.

"Are we still heading out together? I'd understand if you didn't want to," Yami said in a more serious tone. He sat down in Bryan's chair, at the desk behind Yugi's.

There was now concern in his eyes.

"N-no! I'm the one who is sorry..." Yugi wiggled his hands around in the air as if they'd make the rights words come out but nothing came out, so Yugi had them settle on his knees instead. "I'm sorry," he repeated in a meek, but sincere voice.

"Sorry for what? For being cute?" Yami teased.

Yugi's head shot up, as did his heart rate. His jaw hung limply, his tongue went dry... _W-wh-what do I do what do I say-_

"Relax! I'm just playing with you, you know that? You're so..."

Yami did the thing where he smiles and it comes off as both mysterious and playful.

And somehow _sexy_. The word popped in Yugi's head for the first time in his young life. Suddenly, he felt hot enough to take his vest off.

"Shall we go?"

Yugi nodded.


	10. Ice Cream and Parfait

**A Bowl of Cherries**

by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N Wow! We've crossed the 100-review barrier AND the 5000-hits barrier! That's amazing! Thank you so much everyone! :D Here's a quick update just for you guys 3 Your support makes my day! Cherry**

**Chapter 10**

So Yugi had exhausted all the platitudes there were to tell about school and about all the trivial, harmless things he and Yami had in common... Which mostly revolved about school. All he had left now was twirling his spoon in the dark puddle surrounding the last remnants of what could once be called 'black sesame ice cream'.

Black sesame ice cream? Who would even _think_ of that? Why'd he even order it?

Oh yes. Because he was so nervous he just pointed to a random spot on the menu when the waiter took their order.

Yami, who had patiently listened to Yugi's babbling and with more than the minimum of interest prescribed by 'universal good manners', hadn't touched his vanilla-mango parfait, either. He was seated across Yugi, elbows rested on the cold surface of the grey table, fingers intertwined, chin lightly resting upon them. His lips were relaxed but his eyes, very obviously smiling.

Anytime Yugi dared meeting that overly warm gaze he'd feel a rush of blood to his cheeks and opted for staring at his ice cream instead.

He might even try it.

Stupidly, he forked the whole heap of frozen dairy into his mouth. Hm. It didn't taste bad. Sort of like peanut butter. He might even _enjoy_ it, if he wasn't so nervous right now.

"You've never been on a date before, have you?"

A _what_?

If this were a bad sitcom, Yugi would've choked on his ice cream, making a commotion in the posh downtown cafe they were at. Instead he inadvertently swallowed the frozen thing in one go, earning himself a brain freeze and the complimentary rictus that came with it. Yugi griped his forehead with both hands in an attempt to soothe his sudden headache.

"Whoa, I didn't expect that reaction," joked Yami.

To which Yugi vehemently shook his head; _no, no_, he wasn't grimacing because of your question! Your... extremely _embarrassing and unexpected_ question.

The taller teenager simply gave one of his signature chuckles. "I know, I know - here, let me help." He laughed some more as he gently pried Yugi's desperate fingers and replaced them with his own.

Yugi couldn't say he wasn't enjoying that. Yami's fingers were warm. He then repositioned them, placing the whole palm of one hand against the boy's forehead.

Even better.

Yugi felt so strangely comfortable, didn't dare speak up to let Yami know the brain freeze had passed, or even meet his gaze. He did his best to remain still, breathing in and out, in and out, as normally as possible.

Waiting for something important to happen, although unsure of what exactly. Yami's wrist smelled of skin cream.

All good things come to an end. Yami eventually withdrew his hand, gently, replacing one of Yugi's bangs away from his eyes.

The skin had become slightly moist where it had been touched.

Yami cocked his head to the side. "Better?"

"Yeah." It would feel weird to say thanks now wouldn't it? Especially since the touch was unsolicited to start with (but oh so appreciated). Yugi gave him a contrite smile and blushed some more.

There was no more ice cream to eat. The colored layers in Yami's parfait were slowly meshing together into pale orange. Yugi secretly wanted to taste, but he didn't dare asking - it would be sort of an indirect kiss, despite the fact that Yami hadn't even laid a hand on his spoon.

When was it appropriate to share one's food? Joey nibbled from his plate all the time when he had the chance, and Yugi frequently offered Anzu the snacks that he didn't want to eat. Eating from Yami's plate would feel like... Hm...

Yami plucked the bright red, maraschino cherry throning atop of his melting desert, looking unsure whether he was going to eat it or not. He didn't seem in a rush to do anything.

Why had Yami used the word _date_? Did it mean something different wherever he was from? He didn't even know where he was from. He knew nothing about Yami, ever so shy about asking him anything. Did Yami imply that he (too) was...

"Gate?" Yugi hastedly corrected himself. "A date? I mean... Isn't..." He was too shy to say it. He knew shouldn't say it. But he said it anyway. "Isn't a date when a guy and a girl..." His voice trailed off. He felt stupid for trying to mask his true self. "I mean..." Yugi gave up. Anything he'd say from now would only end him up digging his own grave.

Yami didn't reply. His eyes were locked on Yugi, as if intent to pierce his soul. Yugi cowered.

"I gotta call my grandpa. I should be home by now, he's probably worrying."

Yami watched him hop off his stool and trot to the till, where he asked the cashier if he could borrow their phone for a local call.

Grandpa okay'ed his little school day outing. He asked if Yugi was out with Anzu. Yugi said no. Grandpa said 'she called'. Yugi asked if he could drop by her house before coming home. Grandpa asked if Yugi had any homework due tomorrow. Yugi said no. Grandpa said okay.

Yugi walked back to his seat.

The plates had been cleared.

In their stead, a little payment slip inside a plastic tray, topped with purple candy in a crispy gold hued wrapper. Yami reached for his wallet and fished out a plastic card that he laid on top of the slip. He didn't touch any of the candy.

Neither did Yugi. "I don't-"

A waiter walked by, grabbing the tray, which caused Yugi to clam up. Yugi looked away.

"Actually... I wanted to ask you..." Yugi started. "Why me? I mean, there are... plenty of other people to hang out with at school and you pick... me."

Yami seemed saddened by Yugi's honest confession.

"I'm just a little confused and- and I barely know you... It's not that you're not nice-"

The waiter came back with a pen, had Yami sign the bill, and left. Yami stashed the card away back into his wallet. Yugi was toying with the wrapper of one of the candies.

"Nice?" Yami asked, regaining some of his good mood. "Really?" His features had relaxed into a pleasant smile.

Yugi wanted to crawl. Away. Far, far away. That _smile_! That dangerously winsome smile!

"Y-yeah, I guess..." He ended up unwrapping the candy completely. "I think I..."

Yugi didn't speak further.

He couldn't possibly tell Yami he liked him. Too soon. What would be more accurate would be to say, 'Yami, I was heartstruck the moment I saw you, but I know it's not love because we don't know other that well yet nonetheless I can't stop thinking about you'. Truthful, but... No.

Yami grabbed the plum hued candy from Yugi's fingers and popped it into his mouth. "We have all the time in the world. You don't have to tell me now," he offered casually.

Relief washed over Yugi. He let go of the empty wrapper. And he suddenly felt like telling Yami everything. Reverse psychology maybe?

"Well, I have to go now. Thank you for keeping me company," Yami said, sounding a little bit too formal, slipping his arms into the black, waist high jacket he wore over the vest of his school uniform.

"Okay," was Yugi's docile reply.

He clumsily put his own coat back on. The sight of his backpack, which had been resting below the stool all this time, made him self conscious all of a sudden. It was a Transformers backpack... Which was totally cool, because of its collector item status, but it felt grossly out of place here, in this trendy, yuppie café.

He followed Yami to the exit without a word.

Traffic had increased dramatically on the sidewalk since the time they'd entered the café. Yami and Yugi parted with a wave of the hand, but they ended up walking in the same direction.

"Oops. Happens all the time." Yugi giggled, which broke down the tension between them a little. "The bus station is over there," he explained, pointing south.

Yami nodded. "And I live over there," he replied, pointing south-west towards the glass skyscrapers huddled around the Kaiba Corp tower.

Yugi's eyes widened. "Oh..."

People actually _lived_ in these things?

Yami laughed. "See? This is why I'm drawn to you."

That... didn't really explain anything. With Yami you could never be quite sure whether he was serious or not, Yugi decided. Didn't prevent his heart from beating slightly faster, though.

"I've never been on a date before," Yugi spontaneously admitted. "You were right about that." He hung his head sheepishly. "I didn't know this was supposed to be..." He furrowed his brows, as if hit by sudden, grave revelation. "Was- was _this _a date?"

"Only if you want it to be," Yami replied with a wink.


	11. Confrontation

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N Retconning one minor detail to the story: I've been dropping details here and there that the story was happening in winter, and I'd like to change that to Spring. Merry Christmas! Cherry**

**Chapter 11**

For the fourth time Yugi took a deep breath and rang the bell to Anzu's house. He didn't want to be here. His insides were churning.

Less than a minute later, a petite woman with cropped brown hair came to the door. "Oh, Yugi! I didn't know you were coming over! Come on in, I'll go get Anzu."

A high pitched voice came from somewhere inside the house.

"If it's Yugi I am _not_ here," the voice warned.

Anzu's mother gave Yugi an apologetic smile. "Do you mind waiting here a minute sweetie? I'll be right back." She then winked at Yugi and closed the door on him.

There was indistinct yelling in the house. Well, mostly on the high pitched voice's part.

Then there was a pause.

_I could just leave_, thought Yugi. That would solve a whole lot of problems.

For tonight.

He might not be able to step foot in the school tomorrow if he didn't talk to - no no, let's update that to _make up with_, apparently - if he didn't talk to Anzu before then.

A furious teenager opened the door. Yugi and Anzu eyed each other for a second. Then Anzu spoke.

"Hi."

She was talking to him through the ajar door of her house. "What do you want."

"There's something I need to tell you, Anzu."

"Ha! About time." Yugi was never good at spotting sarcasm, but that one was pretty obvious. "Well just, like, _say it_. I don't have all night."

Yugi noticed Anzu's eyes and cheeks were bloated, puffy red.

"Anzu," came her mother's high pitched voice from inside the house, "are you letting your friend stand outside in the cold by any chance?" Her tone was very knowing. Anzu rolled her eyes, sighed heavily and motioned for Yugi to come in. It wasn't

"Not. A. Word," she mouthed before grabbing him by the hand and rushing through the house to the heaven of her bedroom.

She closed the door and leaned against it, facing Yugi who stood helpless in the middle of the room. She crossed her arms and waited.

Waited.

The angry look on her face intensified.

"Anzu... Are you angry at me?" But what he really meant to say was, '_I know you are, but why?_'

That line seemed to disarm some of the anger in her. "Well it's not really _at you_ I'm angry I guess," she let out in a soft voice, while retaining some annoyance in her features. "I just feel so stupid."

"What happened?"

Yugi didn't want to think it was about Yami. Then again, he'd just spent most of the late afternoon with him, and well, Yami wasn't the center of their lives, he realized (okay, he totally was. Yugi silently admitted he was kidding himself).

"It's..." She shook her head dismissively. "I can't believe I listened to them."

He wasn't really sure who she was talking about.

"Yugi, why did you have to give him the letter out in the open? I'd asked you specifically because you seemed to have some sort of special link with him, so you could give him in private."

Yugi bit his lower lip. He'd tell her! Not yet. She wasn't done talking just yet. She furrowed her brows and opened her mouth as if to say something crucial.

"Yugi, are you eating with us?" The mother's voice came through the door, ruining any attempts at serious teenager business.

"No, mom." She sounded more annoyed than angry.

"I, um, I told my grandfather I'd be having supper with him," replied Yugi in a strained voice.

"Oh. Oh okay. Well if you change your mind you're always welcome. We're having bulgogi," she announced. Yugi saw Anzu's face brighten slightly (albeit for a split second) from the corner of his eye. Bulgogi was one of her all-time favorites. "There's enough for you if you want."

Anzu rolled her eyes in impatience.

"Oh that's too bad, I love your bulgogi, Ms Mazaki. Maybe some other time," he added quickly, shying under Anzu's glower.

"Okay then," she sounded genuinely disappointed, "well, we're always happy to have you here with us, Yugi," she added before walking away.

"Y-yes," Yugi replied meekly, terrified at the sight of the smoke coming out of Anzu's ears.

Anzu waited for the sound of her mother's slippers to have faded completely before starting her new attempt at the rant that had been fermenting further during her mother's untimely intervention. She exploded.

"Just how come _EVERYONE_ said that-"

"Anzu-I-didn't-give-him-the-letter," Yugi blurted out.

Anzu's face froze. She blinked.

"I thought you should know," he started, taking advantage of her temporary stupor to speak his mind. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier. I thought I could but I couldn't. It's hard to explain. But I just couldn't. It's not you. It's me. I swear I didn't even mean to show him. It slipped out of my backpack and he saw it and then one thing led to another. I got it right here. I didn't open it I swear I-"

"It _slipped_ out of your _backpack_?" She asked derisively.

"It's- I don't-"

"I trusted you with my feelings and you just flashed them for everyone to see?"

"It's not _like that-_"

"Then how come..." Gradually, anger faded away to make room for incomprehension. "Why..."

She sat down on a chair, racking her brains to figure out Yugi-knew-what. He reached for the letter in his backpack and handed it to his friend. She grabbed it limply. It fell on her lap, dragging her hands with it, as it the pink envelope were unbelievably heavy.

"Then how come she said..."

Yugi knew he wouldn't get any more details on who said what about who to whom. The web of female social networks in the school was impregnable; even the girls themselves could get lost in it and never come back.

Yugi took a deep breath to prepare himself for the rant- no, confession he'd been rehearsing during his bus ride.

It wasn't going to happen.

Not today.

Anzu's face was hidden between her bangs. When Yugi heard a sniffle he reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. Anzu brushed it off right away.

"I think I need to be alone, Yugi."

"Anzu..."

"I'm not angry," she said impatiently, "just go."

Yugi withdrew his hand and hesitated a moment, shifting on his feet.

"Go! Go _away_!"

Yugi gingerly walked - _rushed_ out of the bedroom and of the house. He didn't even say a polite 'bye' to Anzu's mom.


	12. Yami

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**Chapter 12**

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(Yami)

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The bright light in the elevator hurt his eyes. He pressed 44, then closed his eyes, hoping to rest a little bit during the ascension.

He opened them immediately. Dizzy. He allowed himself to lean against the lithe railing, avoiding the sight of his reflection in the mirror in front of him. No tenant joined him for the rest of his voyage. The doors opened silently, stealthily.

Not a sound on the 44th floor, as always. Monday nights - no, Tuesday mornings - usually were dead quiet in this building. An island of peace in the middle of the city.

The door to his apartment gave in at the swipe of his electronic key card. He walked in and let the door close behind him. It locked automatically.

He didn't bother turning the lights on behind him. He could navigate with ease in the darkness. He slid out of his coat, vest, shoes. Ah, that school uniform. The schoolboy look always played in his favor. Not all, but a good proportion of his opponents seemed quite distracted by it. Yami never was fazed by the age difference of the other players, nor was he by the illegality of the game. He loathed the back alley meetings, the sleazy crooks and loan sharks looming over his opponents' shoulders, but he didn't fear them. They, in turn, had every unsuspecting reason to fear a seventeen year old boy. For a second Yami felt like he was still seated at the table with them, eyeing his cards, feeling an adrenaline rush at the sight of an ace...

The cold marble tile under his bare feet brought his senses back to life momentarily.

Hungry. His brain was begging him for nutrients.

The dishes had been done in his absence. And some bit of vacuuming as well. Yami fished around in the fridge for scraps of food to eat.

There was tuna salad. Mixed greens. Low-fat french dressing. And skim milk. He went for the milk. There were rice crackers in the cupboards atop of the microwave unit. They would do for now.

For five long minutes he sat at the table, drinking milk straight from the carton, crackers from the box. The crackers were dry; the milk tasted like fat. He made a mental note to ask for protein shakes to be bought. And yogurt.

Having sated his hunger, he walked to the bathroom. Washed his hands, splashed his face with cold water.

Above the sink, an oval mirror sent him the image of a tired young man.

He opened the cabinet and got himself two, three bottled of pills, remembered in annoyance that he'd forgot - again - to replenish his supplies. He set the near empty bottles aside, took out two pills from the third bottled and washed them down with tap water straight from the faucet.

The living room had undergone a deep clean, too. The maid tried to hide it, but Yami just had this memory for detail; he could tell. The curtains were stiff. She'd taken them down and washed them. Or maybe taken them down and replaced them with new ones. Yami felt the velvety fabric. Not a doubt. These were brand new. He swung them open, looking to drown himself in the cityscape.

The windows on the tower adjacent to his were lit here and there, some illuminated, some others not. He wondered if there were lives like his in these high rise apartments. People living, fighting together, people crying. Sleeping. He wondered what it was like to live with one's grandfather, manning the family store like the boy he'd met in school.

Yami brushed a hand into his hair. The smell of cigarette now felt nauseating to him again, now that he was back home to the familiar smell of leather and cleanliness that permeated his dwelling. Not before grabbing a towel for his hair to rest on - exhausted as he was, he was in no mood to shower less even bathe at the moment - but he'd hate to get the acrid smell in his furniture.

He exhaled loudly. A weight was lifted off his chest.

Not a sound could be heard. The bustle of the city was too far below to be heard.

To his right, the kitchen and living room, and the hallway that lead to the master bedroom.

To his left, the city.

In front of him, a giant television that had most likely been dusted.

Maybe Seto was right.

Maybe he _should_ give the thing a damn try.

Lazily, he went for the remote control waiting for him exactly two inches from the edge of the coffee table. It had never been used. He pressed the 'ON' button. Before letting the remote fall on his lap. It slid lazily off him and plopped next to him on the leather cushion of the couch.

What program might be on was the last of his worries. On the screen, an aging man with glowing white teeth hosted some sort of game show. Yami lowered the volume until it faded to a dull background noise.

The nearly uninterrupted flow of laughter of the audience felt soothing to his ears and heart.

He laid his head back on the towel and closed his eyes, massaging his temples for a bit.

Ten minutes later, he was fast asleep.

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	13. No, I mean, a Real Date

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N Last chapter was a little different than usual. We're back to normal! Thank you for your support and sorry I didn't have time to reply to your previous reviews! I sincerely thank you for making it here and I hope you continue reading and enjoying the story :) Cherry **

**Chapter 13**

Tuesday morning.

Never before had Yugi received such a glorious welcome upon entering English. It started with wolf whistles and cheering, a few claps, his named being called out, and various compliments he wasn't sure were referring to what feat in particular. He just kept walking to his desk, telling himself that maybe these weren't meant for him after all. A heavy pat on the back halted his efforts to 'just mind his own business as usual'.

"Yugi! My man! Getting lucky with the ladies!"

The boy simply cocked his head. "Getting what?"

"You have a secret admirer!" One girl reminded him.

A what?

"The letter!"

"Is it from Anzu?"

"You're asking Yami for dating advice!"

"Are you too shy to ask Anzu on a date?"

Yugi stumbled back and fell on a nearby chair. Wait, just what exactly was going on? He knew people had seen him show Yami the pink letter in class. But how could it have evolved into such a convoluted rumor?

"Yugi and I are NOT dating," came Anzu's voice loud and clear as she entered the classroom, sitting as far as possible from Yugi. "Not now, not ever."

That cutting tone silenced the gossip crowd.

Flies could be heard in the classroom when the teacher walked in. She looked left and right, suspiciously, then settled her belongings on the desk.

"Well... looks like we're getting a head start on Hemingway today!"

Yugi didn't care about getting a head start in anything.

He couldn't take his mind off Anzu's words. He couldn't believe what she had just said. And done.

He knew that they never were going to date, but was it absolutely necessary to be so sharp about it? And had he done something so bad it deserved sitting away from him?

A short boy he'd never noticed before slid through the door, just barely one minute late, and slid into the newly available seat next to Yugi's. He was short and wore strange, ornamental frames, his blond hair so pale it looked kind of blue trimmed in a bowl haircut.

Oh! Yugi remembered him now. He used to come to the game shop in elementary school. And Yugi saw him at school from time to time. He ran one of the weird hobby clubs or something. Anyway, Yugi hadn't heard anything bad about him, and even if he had, he'd still be willing to give him a chance and befriend him.

"Hi," Yugi whispered. "I'm Yugi."

The boy looked surprised to have been addressed, but replied. "I know. Kame Game Shop."

"We're on page 97," Yugi continued. "So what's your name?" He was beginning to enjoy this whispered conversation, especially since his new neighbour was being responsive.

"You can call me Weevil." The boy hadn't looked Yugi in the eye for the entire (yet brief) length of their 'secret conversation'.

"Nice to meet you, Weevil."

"Yeah," the boy replied laconically, out of disinterest or maybe out of shyness, Yugi wasn't sure which.

At any rate the boy quickly zoned out. Yugi wondered why anyone would want to be nicknamed after a weevil of all things. He glanced at Anzu, who was absorbed in the teacher's lecture.

He sighed, hoping that he wouldn't be called upon to read out loud today. He wasn't in the mood.

Next period was English, still. Two periods in a row. The second usually was a reading period. But a silent one. Yugi usually used it to get ahead in other classes, but with the turmoil that'd shaken his life over the last week, he found himself actually needing to catch up instead. He forced himself to open the book he hadn't begun reading yet: The Old Man And The Sea. What could be so fascinating about a lonely old man stranded with a giant fish in the middle of the ocean?

When the bell rang, he realized in dismay that he'd barely read ten pages of the book. He had his best friend on his mind. Anzu's tantrums really had him upside down.

Well, on the bright side, he hadn't been thinking about Yami all this time.

... And _now_ he was.

Lunch time.

Anzu wasn't at her usual spot in the cafeteria.

Joey and Tristan weren't there yet, either.

Yugi didn't mind sitting alone anymore, now that he had some actual friends. Just knowing that fact gave him more confidence. Plus, it was only for a little while. Joey and Tristan would arrive soon enough.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder the moment he opened his lunchbox. It was Miho, the girl Tristan had a crush on. She wasn't in any of Yugi's classes, but _boy_ he'd heard enough of her to know who she was. She was sitting at the table right next to theirs today, behind Yugi to be precise. Well, guess who would be happy about that...

"Hey," she asked tentatively, "is it true that you asked Anzu out?" It was neutral like, she didn't sound like she was going to mock him or anything.

Yugi was startled. "Me? No! I like her, but not that way," he asserted.

"Oh." The girl pondered for a moment. "Is it true that _she_ asked you out, then?"

"Let him be," said the girl sitting next to Miho, out of embarrassment at her friend's boldness. It was obvious she wanted in, too, though. Her eyes were shining.

"No, no, it's okay," Yugi reassured. "She... she hasn't asked me out actually." He paused. "Actually - Miho, right?"

"Yep."

"Miho, could you tell me what... What are people _saying_ about us? Anzu won't tell me," he admitted. Wait, was it really okay to confide about a problem one had with a best friend to a near total stranger? Yugi felt lonely all of a sudden.

"Everybody says a lot of things about you, Yugi." Miho patted Yugi's shoulder. The girl next to her blushed furiously, as if caught red-handed. Yugi concluded, not without displeasure, that she must've spread a bit of gossip about Yugi, too. "It's better you don't know about it. Trust me. Stupid rumors aren't worth your time. Well, if you and Anzu aren't dating or anything, that's all I needed to know. Bon appetit, Yugi."

She turned around and vanished from Yugi's bubble as suddenly as she had entered it.

Best thing would be to call Anzu tonight and ask her. Maybe she wouldn't be so angry anymore.

Well, Yugi wasn't dumb. He knew she'd probably be angry a little, still. But he thought people always deserved a second chance, no matter how stupid it seemed.

Joey and Tristan arrived. They were laughing like idiots and had ketchup and mustard packets spread all over their shirts. Some fight with someone, Tristan summarized. Joey had to tell the longer, director's cut edition of the story. He told and retold what had happened at least four times over the course of the meal. It cheered Yugi a little. He needed it; next was physical education, and that was a very grim prospect in its own right.

He threw himself into all of his badminton matches, to no avail, but the effort at least had the merit of making the rest of the day go by faster.

It felt weird to just go straight home for once.

Yugi's last few days had been 'special days' one after the other. And now it was back to normal. It seemed.

Grandpa was sitting behind the till, downstairs at the store. Yugi offered to take over without thinking, even though this wasn't 'his night'. He felt guilty over having left grandpa alone at home, while he was having fun with his new, mysterious crush.

There was a group of middle school kids, two girls and three boys, who usually came to play board games on Tuesdays. Their parents didn't seem worried about their grades. Yugi watched them occasionally, trying to get ahead for tomorrow's trig homework at the same time.

The sun was fading gradually. The kids at the table looked like they were having fun.

Just good, old fashioned fun. You know, the innocent fun you had before things like crushes and drama and hormones started kicking in...

Confident that no more patrons would show up on this slow evening, Yugi dove back into his homework, wondering what the cotangent function was ever going to do for him.

Just as he got his pen down on the first problem of the set, the doorbell of the store rang. Yugi nearly jumped, hoping, or dreading perhaps, that it might be Anzu.

The sight of Yami's silhouette made Yugi's heart do a backflip.

"Ka-Kame Game Shop," he muttered automatically. "I mean, hey Yami," he amended.

"Hello, Kame Game Shop," he replied mischievously. "I'm here to purchase some Duel Monster booster packs."

Yami sported his usual confident smile, but it a dreary quality to it. He had dark circles under his eyes. Maybe it was the shadow cast by the overhanging light. A question sprang in Yugi's mind.

"How did you find the store?"

"Phone book."

"Oh." Well, it did make sense. "Hi."

Yami chuckled. "Hi." He leaned against the till, nearing Yugi's face dangerously. "What are you up to?" He asked a bit too casually.

"Oh, um, nothing. Trig. How are you holding up? I know you have lots to catch up with and everything. For other classes I mean."

"It's not so bad. I've actually covered a lot of it at my previous school."

"Where was that? I've never asked..."

"In Britain."

Yugi was speechless. Yami laughed.

"You're something else, you know that?"

"Yes, I think you told me already," Yugi replied spontaneously and of course, without the slightest bit of malice.

Yami guffawed this time, his throaty laughter echoing inside the shop. The kids halted their game for a moment, glancing at the both of them. Yami didn't notice. Yugi did, naturally, because he was self-conscious by nature.

"I think you're something else, too, but I just don't know what exactly."

Yami blinked.

The simplicity of the statement surprised even Yugi himself.

"I guess I am a mystery," Yami replied with a smirk.

Yami and Yugi just stared at each other (blankly) for a good minute.

"I like mysteries," Yugi blurted out.

"Then you won't be disappointed," he muttered darkly, lowering his eyes.

Yugi's heart was beating like the drums at a military parade. He wondered if Yami could hear it.

"You asked me, last time, that it was up to me to decide whether we'd had a date or not, together at the café. Well..." Yugi saw Yami holding his breath imperceptibly. "Well... I decided it wasn't."

Something cloudy ran through Yami's eyes for a split second. He stiffened, then relaxed and acted as if nothing happened.

"I see. I understand." He straightened up. "Do you still want to be friends, then?"

"No," giggled Yugi, "you don't understand. I don't think that counted. I want you to take me on a _real_ date." He couldn't believe he was saying this. He couldn't believe he was... almost smirking! Yami's mannerisms were starting to rub on him already!

"Would Sunday be a suitable day for a 'real date', then?"

Yugi was already regretting having tacitly given Yami a challenge. "It would but... I'm busy."

"All day?"

"No, in the afternoon. All afternoon." He already had RSVP'd Seto's invitation and it would look bad for the shop if he backed out now.

"Who goes on a date on Sunday afternoon?" Yami teased.

"Well _I _certainly would," said Yugi defensively (and blushingly, if that was even a word).

"Alright, fair enough, fair enough. How about a Sunday evening, then?"

"It would work, I guess. I mean," Yugi took a more serious look, while being aware that he wouldn't be taken more seriously by Yami, "Yes, that works for me. I'd like that."

"Dinner and a movie? Not my favorite, but since you've never had a proper date, like you said, I figure you should start with the basics."

"You say it like you've done it a hundred times. Are you some kind of date guru?"

Yami laughed again (unsurprisingly). Yugi mentally chastised himself for sounding childish, still completely unaware that it was that kind of naive spontaneity that drew Yami to him.

"I can meet you downtown," said Yugi, eager to put that 'childish' part of the conversation behind him.

"At Domino Square?"

It wasn't too far from the Kaiba Corp headquarters, so Yugi agreed.

"Good. I'll see you there, then."

"I'll see you in class."

Yami nodded and exited the store.

It was five minutes past closing time, and while the kids were still there, they were packing their board game and getting ready to go.

Once Yugi was alone in the store, he allowed himself one big, joyful sigh.

He knew he should be calling Anzu as early as possible, but he didn't feel like it right now because he knew it would probably bring him down. As much as he wanted to get over the drama as quick as he could, all Yugi wanted to do now was to keep riding this strange cloud of happiness he was on right now because of his unexpected encounter with Yami, and the exciting promise they'd made one another.


	14. Earl Grey Tastes Kind of Yucky

**A Bowl of Cherries**

by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N Happy New Year! Starting 2012 with a bang and our longest chapter yet! Your lovely reviews are my oxygen; I can't thank you enough for them! (Warning: excessive use of italics! Haha.) Cherry**

**Chapter 14**

Miraculously, Yugi was able to focus on studying for his Health Ed exam during the rest of the evening. Naturally, the founding principles of democracy, as important as they were, did not interest him quite as much as the prospect of being taken on a date by Yami.

And by the fact that he'd spoken up for once and managed to hold a conversation with his crush without stuttering or blanking out or beating around the bush endlessly like pretty much every one of his previous encounters with Yami. In fact, in a way, it was Yugi who had invited Yami on a date, not otherwise! He was pretty proud about that. He'd been quite _bold, _actually, despite the occasional blunder.

And he was pretty... _shocked_ that the topic of homosexuality, which would have been a cause of such potent awkwardness if discussed with any of Yugi's previous crushes (which explained why Yugi never did try to bring up the topic with any of his previous crushes), was apparently normal, matter of factly, natural. Not a matter of controversy at all.

Maybe it was because of where Yami was from. Britain? Yugi was ready to bet that Yami had gotten used to a fancy life in a big cosmopolitan center, London maybe, who knows, and that he must be pretty bored here in Domino. It was no village or small town by any means, but it clearly didn't have the spark of New York City or the prestige of Boston or the fantastic aura of any of the bigger cities on the Pacific coast. Domino was Domino, a lively, mid-sized city renowned for its quality of life (it was regularly voted in the top twenty five of North American cities to raise a family) and had a few corporate headquarters in it, more famously the Kaiba Corporation, whose young CEO in the making just so happened (strangely enough) to be in Yugi's class. Seto wasn't officially the head of the company, some puppet was at least until the brunet heir became legal of age, but everyone knew it was Seto who took decisions. It was the gears inside his glorious, precocious brain that kept Domino's economy strong and going.

How had Yugi allowed himself to be distracted by all of this? He'd been staring blankly at the boldface title in his textbook for the past... fifteen minutes at least.

He went to the kitchen to make himself some hot chocolate, hoping it would help him find some concentration. His grandfather was seated at the kitchen table, one hand on his temple, the other one holding a phone to his hear. Some papers were sprawled in front of him, and next to them a stack of bills, neatly arranged and scribbled down on. Grandpa wasn't saying a word, concentrated on whatever was happening on the phone. It looked like he was on hold for something, maybe with a bank or an insurance company. Sensing his grandfather's stressful situation (he knew how much he hated to deal with those 'crooks', he called them), Yugi tiptoed around the kitchen appliances, doing as least noise as possible when he opened and closed the cupboards and drawers. Grandpa didn't appear to even notice Yugi's presence, which the boy took as a good sign.

When the muted drum of the boiling water inside the kettle began to made make itself heard, Yugi remembered the resolution he'd taken on his way home: to call Anzu. Reluctantly he walked towards his grandfather, entered his field of vision, and leaned towards him. 'Can I call later?' Sogoroku waved an approving hand in his usual dismissive fashion. Yugi added 'if you could please tell me when your phone call is over', waited for a nod from his grandpa, and walked back to his near whistling kettle.

He reached for the hot chocolate mix, and, sensing there wasn't much powder left in the tin, put it back on the shelf and opted for tea instead. There were dusty old packs of Earl Grey in the back of one shelf behind the half opened bags of non-perishable 'whatever grandpa had bought well before before Yugi was born and obviously never used because he didn't like cooking all that much but didn't have the heart to throw away because he was a penny pincher'. Yeah. Those kinds of things, like corn starch and a handful of brown rice and some faded yeast packets that looked like they had been bought during the Cold War.

Yugi hadn't actually ever made himself tea, and he didn't want to bother grandpa, so he figured he should probably just let the pouch sit inside the hot water. The pouch in its dry state didn't smell like much, so it couldn't possibly taste like much, either. Yugi pulled on his long sleeves so that they insulate his hands as he grabbed the (and regrettably, almost full) hot mug. He then slowly made his way to his bedroom, keeping an eye on the water level to make sure it didn't overflow (and burn his hands in the process). Just as he was nearing his bedroom's door, grandpa intervened.

"Are you taking the kettle into your bedroom?"

Yugi hated it when Grandpa did this. He only ever seemed to notice the small, annoying, unimportant details. Never the actually important stuff. "No, Grandpa, it's just the mug."

"Don't bring hot chocolate in your bedroom. If it spills the sugar infiltrates the carpet, it gets sticky and ends up having all kinds of little bugs coming inside the house."

"It's not hot chocolate, Grandpa, it's just tea," he concluded before he opened his bedroom door.

"Tea? We don't have tea. Are you sure it's tea?"

_Oh come on_, grandpa. "Yes. Okay, I'm going to study now," Yugi announced, stepping inside his bedroom.

"No, I'm sure we don't have any tea."

"Yes we do, it's behind the brown rice and the yeast packets."

"We have yeast packets?" The old man turned to Yugi in disproportionate surprise, the mute receiver still glued to the one ear.

"Yes!" Yugi almost cried out, hiding his exasperation with difficulty. "Please, Grandpa, can I just go in now? The mug's getting real hot!"

Grandpa waved a hand and turned away to whoever had decided to speak up at the other end of the phone line. "Yes? Yes, this Sugoroku Mutou. I was calling regarding my account."

Yugi hurried into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. His grandpa usually got in foul moods when dealing with phone calls like these, and Yugi naturally liked to stay away from them as much as possible.

Well, he was all alone with his Health Ed textbook now.

Yaaay. Joy.

He put the mug down on his desk and managed to read a few pages, four to be exact, but it was hard to concentrate beyond that. By the time he reached section 2.1 of the chapter he decided he had done enough and didn't really need to study any further; he'd always listened carefully in class, plus the exams were always super easy and never counted for much on the final grade compared to the essays and class participation.

He closed the book and took a sip of his tea. Pew! It tasted strong, bitter and all raspy like. If tea was supposed to taste like this, then tea was not his forte. How could people possibly enjoy drinking something like this? He pushed the mug away and made a mental note to go dispose of it when Grandpa'd be done with his phone call.

That is, if he remembered to come and let Yugi know at all.

Yugi wondered if Yami's family was the same. He wondered if Yami drank tea. Tea was the big thing in Britain, right? Maybe he could ask Yami about tea, to, you know, make conversation during their date or something. He wondered where Yami would take them for their first real date. Well, he'd said dinner and a movie. Judging by the looks of the impossibly upscale café they'd been to last time, the restaurant was likely to be first class. Five stars. With waiters dressed in tailored clothing. Maybe they'd go to the restaurant on top of the revolving restaurant at the top of Domino's tallest tower...

It wouldn't be a cold night - it was spring after all. Yes, this would be a sunny Sunday and the new warmth would linger on in the evening. After having eaten, Yami would take Yugi out on the rooftop to gaze at the stars. They'd get a striking view of the city. Then Yugi would get a little cold. Yami would offer Yugi his own coat and place it over Yugi's shoulders. It would be warm. Then Yami would ask if he was still cold. Yugi would say no. Yami would come dangerously close to Yugi.

'Have I told you you were cute, Yugi?'

'Yes. I think you're good looking, too.'

Yami leans in, kisses Yugi. It's a slow kiss, like in the movies. It tastes like vanilla. Yugi encircles Yami's waist with his arms.

"Did you still want to make that phone call?"

"_**GAH!**_"

Yugi opened his eyes (they were closed? how? since when?) and brought a hand to his heart as if to quell it. Grandpa's head could be seen in the ajar opening of the door.

"I thought you were studying," Grandpa added nonchalantly, obviously not realizing what had been going on in Yugi's head.

"I w-was." Yugi still breathed hard from the shock. "Yes, I'd like to use the phone. Thanks Grandpa."

"Well, it's right here in the kitchen. I won't have any other calls to make tonight, so don't hesitate."

"Actually, I'd like to use it here in my bedroom..."

"Why? It's not like I'm going to be listening or anything."

"I know but..." Yugi's lips thinned into a tight line. "It's just that it's a complicated type of phone call," he patiently explained.

"But the phone doesn't reach here."

"It does, I can just run the wire under the door. Please, Grandpa?" Yugi pleaded, tired of arguing over pointless details.

"I guess so. Just don't break anything," the old man added before closing the door behind him, a milisecond before Yugi gave in the urge to roll his eyes.

He took a sip of his mug mechanically, having forgotten the acrid taste of the Earl Grey tea. It was even worse than before! And cold, too. He brought it to the kitchen and brought back the home phone with him. He looked at his alarm clock. Timing was good, just as Anzu's favorite TV show was over. She would probably be in a good mood (or maybe not - she tended to get pissed off when some of the characters didn't behave as she wanted).

Slowly, Yugi dialed the dreaded digits making up Anzu's phone number.

"Good evening!" A voice that sounded like Anzu's, but more formal and more chipper.

"Hello Ms Mazaki? It's Yugi."

"Oh Yugi! How are you?" Anzu's mom asked in her trademark singing voice.

"I'm good, thank you, and you?" Yugi asked, always diligently going through proper conversation etiquette. That's one of the reasons why Anzu's family liked him so much - such a sweet, polite boy, they said.

"Good, thank you! I'll get Anzu for you in a minute."

Yugi waited for one _looong_ minute, furiously twirling the receiver cord around his fingers.

"Yugi? What's going on?" It was hard for Yugi to decipher Anzu's tone - she didn't sound overly happy or concerned, but she didn't sound impatient or annoyed, either. Just neutral, maybe.

"Oh hey Anzu. Not much." He paused. She didn't speak up. "Actually... Yes, something's the matter. I just... I thought... I think we need to talk, don't you think?"

There was another, longer pause, and Yugi wasn't letting Anzu having her way out of this one.

"...Yeah, maybe you're right," Anzu admitted.

"Okay. I- I don't know where to start... Um... Are you still angry at me? About the letter?"

Yugi could hear Anzu breathing hard at the other end of the line.

"No," she admitted, again. "No, I wasn't really angry at _you_, I think. I was more like, angry at _me_ I guess. But it's like, even though it's not really your fault, for what happened I mean, I still feel kind of pissed. That's why... I didn't sit next to you in English. I was so pissed by the rumors and every thing and I didn't feel like explaining myself to those idiots. I'm sorry about that."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have waited to give you back the letter. No, it's more like... I shouldn't have accepted the letter at all. It's like... Actually, I didn't want to give it to him from the very beginning. I'm sorry."

He was even more sorry than he let on. About having lied and about lying now, still. He didn't want to explain that he saw her as a rival, that he was jealous of her and that he was just plain attracted to Yami. He knew even though she'd eventually accept all of this, it wouldn't sit very well with her and now wasn't the time to threaten their reconcilement.

"Okay. Yeah, I guess it's only fair. I didn't know at the time."

"It's okay," Yugi reassured automatically.

No wait. She didn't know what at the time? Yugi'd rather not broach the subject for now.

"Yugi..." Anzu sighed. "Are you planning on hiding it from me forever?"

"Hiding what?" He felt queasy.

"You know... That you were at that café with him. Why didn't you tell me? You should have. I wouldn't have minded."

Yugi didn't know what to say.

"Well, I guess I would have," Anzu continued. "I did. I sort of still do, but now it's more like, 'why didn't he tell me?' instead of being like, 'Yami was spending time alone with Yugi outside of school and not me'. You know."

Yugi gulped. "B-but it's not like we'd been hiding... Yami even invited you," he protested lamely.

"Oh _come on,_ Yugi, it was written all over your face that you _didn't_ want me in. Plus, it had been planned without me, I mean, it's okay that you do things on your own and that you have your own life, but I guess it just stung that he chose you and not me."

She wasn't hinting at a 'romantic' type of choice now was she?

"I'm... I don't know what to say. I guess... I don't know. I'm sorry, Anzu."

"No, it's not like that. You don't have to be sorry that Yami wants to spend more time with you than he does with me."

"Okay," Yugi said meekly.

"But it was at a cafe of all places... I mean it had 'date' written all over it."

"Wait, um... How did you know it was at a cafe?"

"Miho's friend's boyfriend saw you and told Miho's friend who told her who told me," she explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh." The inextricable web of high school gossip strikes again.

"But anyway, I'm not angry now. I mean _really_. Well, like, I mean, _a little_ I guess_,_ but I'm not angry at you. It's not like, anger proper. I don't know how to explain."

"Okay."

"Don't- Don't just 'okay' me like I'm your mom or whatever! Come on Yugi... This is what I'm talking about. Open up to me. We're supposed to be friends!"

Well, Anzu _could be_ and _was_ a mother hen sometimes. But Yugi would be damned if he ever told her. He still felt compelled to open up about the latest developments in his relationship with Yami, though, even though he wasn't ready yet to discuss it with someone else. Heck, he himself didn't fully understand what was going on inside him and between the two of them.

"Well, I guess I have to tell you this, then."

"Tell what?" There was some urgency in Anzu's tone which made Yugi regret confessing to her. She clearly wasn't over Yami yet.

"Well, um, Yami and I are going to hang out on Sunday, too."

For a moment neither spoke. Yugi's whole wrist was entangled in the receiver cord by now.

"Okay. Okay, yeah. That's cool, Yugi. I'm happy for you." Her voice was very obviously strained. Yugi bit his lower lip. She was everything _but_ cool with it, but he did appreciate her efforts not to show it.

"I'm sorry, Anzu," he added hastily in a half-whisper.

"No, don't- like... Okay listen, Yugi, this is exactly what I'm talking about when I say you should open up more. You definitely don't have to be sorry for me about that. And it's true that I'm happy for you. But I'm also..." She sighed. "Nevermind. Yeah, that's good for you, Yugi. I sort of... I have to go now, though. It's not because I don't want to talk or anything. My mom wants me to wash the dishes."

"Okay." Yugi winced; he'd given Anzu anther of those monosyllabic replies she disliked. "I mean, that's cool. I'm glad we're friends again. I'll see you tomorrow I guess."

"Yeah. We'll always be friends, okay, Yugi?"

"Yeah. Friends for life."

Yugi smiled.


	15. Weevil Barges In

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N - A shoutout to everyone who left reviews for chapter 14 because you deserve it: **Fire Drastar, Monkey Girl xD, YamiShadowcat22, Jay, Spindlegal, angeliastar, Chicary, wintercat.0501, HAVOCSTRIKE2395, BakuraLOLZ99, Sezthekitty, ScarletBlackberry of the M.B.S, darkelf777, Yami Yuugi, Secret Hikari **and last but not least** yugixyamiyaoilover**! You guys really overdid yourselves in writing long, insightful comments this time, I immensely enjoyed reading and reflecting upon each of them. Enjoy! - Cherry **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

So when Yugi and Anzu met in the school hallway together the next day they hugged each other for a long minute, and did not give a damn about the claps and whispers and stares and wolf whistles and everything else around them. They had made up and didn't want to let anything or anyone come between them again.

The student traffic in the hallway thinned and our friends jogged a little to make sure they wouldn't be late for English, their first class of the day. When they arrived in class, their usual desk was taken by one lone looking boy - the one with platinum blond hair that sat next to Yugi last time.

Unfortunately, there weren't any more twin desks available for Yugi and Anzu to sit together.

They came back to their usual desk and eyed the oblivious intruder, hoping he'd sense their presence and go sit elsewhere. When that didn't work, Anzu opted for the seat behind the boy, and Yugi settled next to him. Close enough to being seated next to each other. Anzu immediately struck conversation with the two girls sitting behind her, friends of friends who needed to catch up with whatever.

The boy didn't seem to react to his presence but Yugi could tell from the way he stiffened. "Hey Weevil. What's up?"

The boy turned to Yugi, pushing his frames up the bridge of his nose with his index. All of his fingernails were scathingly short, bitten to the extreme.

"Hello." The boy abruptly turned back to his scribbling, leaving it upon Yugi to shoulder the small talk he wanted or didn't want to be having.

"So, did you read the book? It's kind of hard to read isn't it." Not that The Old Man and The Sea was boring, just... It was hard to concentrate in general for Yugi these days.

"Not yet."

Weevil scratched himself behind the ear, apparently unaware that he was leaving his bangs in a mess. Yugi felt compelled by instinct to pat them back into place, but Weevil sort of cowered away by reflex when Yugi raised a hand toward him to do so.

"Oh, silly me, haha." Yugi offered an uneasy smile. "What was I thinking, we don't even know each other. Um, your hair..."

Weevil was clearly confused. His face spelled 'whut'... in clumsy handwriting.

"Your hair's messed up. From when you scratched," Yugi added when the boy still didn't seem to understand.

He shrugged then raked his hair into place, not perfectly but it looked a little better still.

Yugi couldn't believe how incredibly thin and pale his hair was, like a baby's. No wonder he'd unconsciously wanted to touch it.

Weevil's attention had shifted away already. Anzu was chatting away with three new girls gathered around her, standing around the desk like prison bars. They wanted in on the gossip - well, the gossip clarification.

Yugi sighed, leaned on his desk and looked out the window. The teacher's stuff was there but she wasn't; probably gone on an errand and come back. The class would start a few minutes late, it seemed.

On the one salient branch of the maple tree he saw two scarecrows beaking each other's lissome feathers. Dark, shiny feathers. Yugi blew on one of the blond bangs that was obstructing his vision. It fell back into place. He sighed.

"It's just that everybody touches it all the time." It was Weevil's voice, low enough so that Yugi knew he couldn't possibly be speaking to anyone else than him, his desk neighbour.

"Touching what? I'm sorry, I don't follow," offered Yugi with a meek smile.

Weevil pointed at his hair laconically.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm totally sorry about that. I guess it really is pretty. I'm pretty sure even the girls are jealous!"

"Yeah, my sister tells me that a lot. Says it's a waste."

"A... A waste?" That boy sure was hard to follow. His sister surely wasn't so rude, Weevil must've meant something else by that. But then again, Yugi grew up without siblings, and even though people praised him on not being the selfish brat only children were supposed to grow up to be, he had no idea what it was like to share one's house with a brother or sister, or many.

"Says I have no style."

"Oh, I see. B- but like, it suits you. The bowl cut I mean," Yugi said, to cheer him up.

Really, Weevil was so expressionless, it was difficult to try an imagine him in any other style than the one he had right now.

Weevil shrugged again. "You've got style, though. You hair's pretty cool."

"Haha! Thanks," Yugi said nervously, not having expected to hear that. Enough with the awkward compliments already! "So, you have a sister."

"Yeah."

"Okay... Are you the eldest?"

"No."

Yugi felt like he had a hand on the door knob of 'the room of that awkward moment when you're asking so many questions the conversation feels like it's turning into an interrogation'.

But he went ahead and opened it anyway (figuratively), because he was desperately bored for some reason and even the painful process of chatting with Weevil was a better prospect than opening The Old Man and The Sea.

"It must be weird to have an older sister. I don't have any siblings."

"She's younger. I have an older brother."

"Wow! I live alone with my grandpa, I bet your family's pretty lively. Although my grandpa can put on quite a show when he wants to."

"My grandpa's dead."

Just when they had reached their 'reverse climax of awkward' of sorts, the teacher - no, a substitute - walked in the classroom.

"I'm replacing your teacher today. Apparently some of you have some reading to catch up on, so we'll just be doing that today. Normally I'm a math teacher but I've read Hemingway in college, so you can come and ask me questions if you'd like. If you're done with the book you can do some homework but in silence. And I don't want to see any note passing until the bell rings. I'm pretty strict about that, so don't make me."

The few students who were standing and chatting walked back to their desks. No sound in the classroom but the sliding of zippers and the fluttering of paper and the distinct 'clack' of ring binders being opened and closed.

Yugi turned to glance at Anzu with a look meaning, 'how'd it go?' and she raised her eyebrows as if to mean, 'meh'. Yugi smiled. He knew it wasn't a couple of gossiping girls that could take his Anzu down.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week just flew by.<p>

Yugi wasn't so shy anymore, whenever he waved at Yami in trig or in the hallways, and though they couldn't sit next to each other in Health ed they chatted a bit before the classes they shared. There was much catch up to be done for pretty much every class, so Yugi did his best to focus on the material while he was at school - an environment that did help foster concentration an learning. Whenever he tried to open a textbook in his own bedroom, Yugi readily let himself be distracted by thoughts on how his first official date with Yami would turn out to be (they'd kissed over twelve times now in his imagination, walked in the park holding hands a couple of times, and Yugi told him three different ways how he felt about him).

He'd given up on trying to study while manning the store altogether. The thought that Yami might show up during one of his surprise visits remained at the back of his mind. To distract himself from thinking about Yami, he took it upon himself to get more involved with the store patrons, dueling along with customers whenever there was an opportunity and taking up more responsibilities to keep his mind as busy as possible.

When that did not suffice, Yugi asked his grandfather how to do some basic accounting. The old man was more than happy to oblige, a shine of pride in his eyes when he saw his grandson getting even more serious about the game shop. From keeping up with the small businesses in the area and reading related publications and magazines, Sugoroku knew how too frequent it was to see small, family businesses selling out to strangers. He couldn't have asked for a better, more dedicated grandson, and felt secretly grateful for it.

Meanwhile, Yugi was getting even more serious about Yami. So serious, he only got three hours of sleep in the night between Friday and Saturday. As if his trickster brain knew it could let loose and indulge on consciousness since hey, tomorrow wasn't a school day after all!

* * *

><p>Saturday morning. Yugi walked down the stairs with a pyramid of blueberry yogurt, orange juice, a granola bar and an apple that threatened to roll off the trigonometry textbook on top of which everything was stacked.<p>

It was sunny and wet outside. His friends weren't there yet. Understandably; he was earlier than usual. He drank a minuscule sip of his orange juice. Didn't feel like eating the rest just now. He wasn't hungry. Might as well start dusting off the merchandise. Yugi made Grandpa give up on that chore; the dust made the old man react badly, and the grandson didn't like how deep his coughs and sneezes sounded.

He was working on the wood carved chess set when the phone rang. Yugi glanced at the clock. Ten to. Usually he wouldn't have to answer, but business had been slower than usual this week, so why not give it a boost by providing excellent service? He picked up the phone at the fourth ring.

"Kame Game Shop!"

"Huh..."

"This is not an answering machine," Yugi said with a giggle. "How may I help you?"

"This is Yugi?" It was a male voice. Probably not Joey or Tristan; even though male voices sounded pretty much the same over the phone, he knew they wouldn't speak like that. Probably one of Grandpa's friends from the veteran club or something who had lost their home phone number, and had looked up the shop in the phone book instead.

"Yes. Do you want to speak to Mister Mutou?"

"Are you guys open today?" Well, maybe it was just a random customer after all.

"Yes, from ten to five. Did you want to schedule an appraisal?"

There was a slight pause. "No. Goodbye."

The client hung up. So did Yugi, glancing out the window to see whether his friends were there. He could see Tristan and Joey standing across the street, waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

He dusted the rest of the merchandise hurriedly, then unlocked the door for the guys.

"Hey Yug'!"

"Hi Joey, hi Tristan!"

"Ready to get your ass kicked, little man?" Joey grabbed Yugi and roughed his hair a little.

"Stop it!" Yugi chuckled. "Where is Anzu?"

"She's coming, but she's gonna be late. Says we can get started."

"Oh. Okay."

The boys took off their vests and hung them on the hooks laden on the wall, sitting at their favorite table. They acted as if though they were in their own home. Yugi couldn't help but feel proud of that.

"So I get to duel you first, 'cause I shotgunned you," said Tristan, sorting out his deck. "Joey lost on a bet."

"Hey, shut up, Tris'. You said you'd keep your mouth shut."

"Ha!"

"What bet?" Yugi asked.

"He thought you and Anzu were dating."

"Hey, no, I said he _wanted_ to date Anzu. Big difference," Joey stated defensively.

"Why don't you keep us posted with stuff like that?"

"I don't actually want to date Anzu," Yugi corrected even though he knew his friends were more interested in arguing with one another.

"I bet you wanna 'huh-huh', am I right?" Joey made an inappropriate hip motion to illustrate his point.

"Shut up, Jo, Yugi's not like that. Right? You're not like that. You're the _romantic_ type."

"Hey we're here if you ever need advice, bro," Joey added, throwing an arm around Tristan's shoulders in sign of male fratrenity. "We know all the tricks. Well, I dunno 'bout Tristan here, but I do." He winked. Yugi knew he wanted to look cool, but he looked more ridiculous to him.

"Shut up man, you're single." Honda broke free of the bro hug.

"Like you weren't. Plus, I've had more girls than you've had. Deal with it."

"Whatever. Now I've got Yugi all to myself and you're gonna have to wait. Come on, Yugi," said Tristan, motioning for the blushing boy to come and sit in front of him. "You get to play the winner," Tristan added in Joey's intention.

"No way, man, I haven't dueled Yugi in like, ages."

"You think I'll lose?" Yugi said playfully, taunting Tristan.

"Shit, man, you're blushing! You're making him uncomfortable, Tris. We didn't mean to say you were gonna lose, Yug'." It was nice of Joey to try and comfort Yugi but he really hadn't hurt his feelings with his implication. Rather, Yugi felt sort of all fuzzy inside, being the center of attention and all. It was pleasant that his two best guy friends were vying for his favor, so to speak. They weren't his type personality-wise, but it didn't help that, well... To him they were good looking (Joey especially), and if either of them were to ask him out on a date, in some parallel universe, he might not say no.

The guys were silently pruning out their decks when Grandpa called out from upstairs. Yugi glanced at the clock - the store would open in a few minutes, so he had time. "I'll be back, guys. Wait until I'm back to open up - I don't think anybody will come, but just in case." Then he dashed upstairs.

A car pulled in the driveway. Tristan craned his neck to see who it was.

"Hey, that's not Anzu's car..."

"Maybe her aunt or something," Joey mumbled, his eyes glued to his cards.

"Meh."

The car rolled away. Behind it was a boy with pale blond hair who stalked his way to the store, then stopped. He squinted at the opening hours listed on the door.

Tristan nudged Joey's shoulder. Joey didn't react.

"Hey, look."

"What?"

"Just look, man."

Annoyed, Joey looked. "Oh man, that's Weevil."

"A weevil?"

"No, _Wee_vil, dumbass. The cockroach kid."

"Oh. It's him?"

"Yeah? You know, the-"

Yugi rumbled down the stairs. "Guys! You shouldn't make him wait!" Yugi rushed to open the door for the boy.

Joey squinted at the clock. It was ten sharp.

Yugi welcomed him warmly. "Hi Weevil. I never thought I'd see you here! What's up?"

"Nothing much." He stepped forward and began eyeing the merchandise.

"Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Duel Monsters."

"We've got a boxful of used cards over there. And some booster packs, too." Yugi put some extra glee in his voice. Then gave an apologetic look to the guys as he ushered Weevil to the counter.

This would take a while. Tristan crossed his arms.

"Wanna duel?" Joey asked out of boredom.

"Nah, my deck's all sorted out for Yugi."

Joey began tapping his fingers. "Hey wanna get something?" He motioned to the vending machine in the corner.

"I'm good. Didn't you owe me like, ten bucks anyway?"

"Only got enough change for a pop. Oh hey, I think that's Anzu."

A girl in blue boots and purple stockings was jogging across the street.

"Yep. That's her alright."

"Hi guys!" She barged into the store, panting. "I got out of my aunt's choir thingy. Who plays who?"

"Tris' plays Yug'. Whenever he's done with Mr Twerp over there," Joey muttered.

Anzu frowned at him, undoing her scarf. "Oh hey, I didn't know Yugi had invited him."

"He's invited him?" Joey asked incredulously.

Tristan shook his head. "He'd have told us. What makes you think that?"

"It's just that they've been sitting together in class this week. I thought maybe they'd become friends or something."

They heard the ring of the till and Yugi's pleasant laughter. He then came back to the dueling table.

"We're just about to duel, actually," he said in Weevil's intention. The boy was intently looking at one of the chess sets on display. "Funny coincidence, huh? Oh, hi Anzu!" Yugi beamed at her.

"Hey." She sat down in front of Joey. "Is your Flame Swordsman ready to get his ass kicked?"

"I guess you make a good warm up, Anzu."

She hurled her scarf at him. Joey wrapped it around his neck.

"Ew! Give it back!"

"It's mine now."

"Your hair's all greasy."

The other two duelists were were shuffling their decks in silence. Yugi kept giving glances in Weevil's direction. He didn't look like he was going away soon.

"Hey Weevil. Since you have your deck with you, why don't you join us?"

The trio halted what they were doing and exchanged knowing looks.

Weevil turned to Yugi and made a shy face. "Me?"

"Yeah! You can duel me first and then we take turns," he offered.

Anzu looked at Yugi indecisively.

Tristan crossed his arms.

Joey began tapping his fingers.

Yugi smiled sheepishly when Weevil wasn't looking.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I am happy to announce that **A Bowl of Cherries** is in a four way tiebreaker for the December tier of the Best Puzzleshipping Contest. I wouldn't have had the motivation to write the story without your support, so I thank you wholeheartedly! :) Cherry**


	16. The Date Part I

**A Bowl of Cherries**

by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N Forgive my sudden laconism - I'm getting significantly busier and want to devote all my free time to giving you frequent updates. You rock my world, dearest readers - over 10 000 views and almost 200 reviews! I couldn't be happier. After having given Weevil more ground in the plot, here's some well deserved Yami time for you all. Love, Cherry **

**.**

**Chapter 16**

"What's this?"

"It's just the confidentiality agreement."

Yugi blinked at the papers laid out in front of him by a boy with long, raven black hair. At only 13 years old and 4'8", Mokuba Kaiba already had a way with people, an ease and a sly sureness that his brother didn't have.

"I promise I won't tell anyone if Seto loses," Yugi joked. "Cross my heart."

Mokuba gave him the kind of smile Yugi himself reserved for unhappy customers he couldn't really help. "I know it looks long and boring. It basically means that you can't discuss what you're about to see with anyone else, even Kaiba Corp employees."

"I don't understand - I thought we were going to duel."

"Not exactly... Maybe if he has time, we never know!"

Yugi had a hunch he was just saying that to appease him.

"You mean I'm not even going to see him?"

"Probably not. Again, we'll see. But you'll be rewarded for your time, don't worry."

"That's not the problem..." Yugi had spent hours compiling The Ultimate Deck that might bring Kaiba to his knees. His masterpiece so far.

Of course, he hadn't put so much energy into this for the sole sake of banishing Yami from his thoughts. _Nooo_.

The cute boy joined his hands as in prayer and batting the thick eyelashes that adorned his pretty doe eyes.

"Please?"

Yugi growled. Surely Mokuba would grow up to be a dangerous, manipulative business man.

"Well, alright." Yugi sat down and began to read the form. He knew from his experience working in the store that he should always go over everything legal carefully, making sure he got the meaning behind every word. Plus, he was getting used to the lingo. "For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms will have the following meanings..." Bleh. Headache guaranteed.

About ten minutes later, he returned the signed form to Mokuba who promptly directed him to a cubicle in a brightly lit room, and left him on his own. There was a pen, a paper, and a screen.

Looked like this was going to be some kind of test or study. First he had to fill some other form with his personal information. Then he was tested on his knowledge on various games. Finally, some instructions on how to operate the screen based test.

Really, he wished he'd just let Grandpa did this. He quickly did develop a headache after being prompted countless times to compare various colors and shapes, giving his opinion on which corresponded more to words like 'offense or defense', 'good or evil', and so on. Really he had no idea which one looked the most 'evil' between the purple square and the green triangle. What was the whole point of this?

This was not how Yugi had imagined he'd be spending his Sunday afternoon. Thankfully the day would end on a more entertaining, butterflies-in-the-stomach exciting note: his date with Yami.

After everything was said and done Yugi was taken to a dream lounge where he was welcomed to unwind and enjoy himself in appreciation for his services. It was spacious, with plush carpets and couches, bean bags, three TVs and twice as many game consoles. Not to mention every board game ever invented by mankind. No, Seto was too busy to come, but Mokuba would totally like to challenge Yugi to a quick duel.

"I can't stay. I'm twenty minutes behind my next appointment already."

Mokuba did the puppy eye thing. It didn't work this time. Yugi had nothing but Yami on his mind, and the boy just didn't measure up. "I'm sorry, Mokuba. Maybe some other time."

Once he was in the elevator on the way out of the KC headquarters, Yugi waited for Mokuba to exit the room to open the envelope that had been given to him. His eyes widened. That was a day's worth of net sales at the shop. On a busy day. Yugi placed it in the inside pocket of his vest.

It was cloudy but warm outside. Yugi headed right away for Domino square, walking not running (because he didn't want to get all gross and sweaty!), using every shortcut and cutting through every lawn he could.

.

Domino square was lively as ever. Food vendors, newspaper stands, souvenirs kiosks thrived amidst the crowds of leisurely walking couples, families with young children, loosely formed teenager tryads huddled around an illicit cigarette. The expensive little boutiques and cute eateries at the periphery of the square were also quite busy.

Yami wasn't at the foot of the statue they'd agreed to meet at. He was nowhere in sight, actually.

The clock tower told Yugi he was now half an hour past schedule. Not good. He sat on a bench where facing the statue to try and come up with a plan. What should he do?

Giving up and going home didn't even cross his mind.

He began sweeping the swarms surrounding the makeshift shops. Walking up to them, peeking over the shoulders of shorter people. Naturally, he got a few looks. When the one lady threw an irked 'excuse me' at him, Yugi gave up and sat on the pedestal of the statue, crossing his legs.

It was still bright out, but getting a little chillier. Yugi wished he'd dressed better for the occasion. For once, he could follow Anzu's old advice to wear something comfortable during occasions Yugi forewsaw he wouldn't feel comfortable. A date certainly qualified as such.

Another glance at the clock. It was almost ten to.

At six sharp, he'd give up and go home.

Yugi's sweater wasn't doing such a great job at keeping him warm in the exposed center of the square, where the winds flew about more freely.

A good dozen meters away from him, two young men friends stood out from the crowd thanks to their wildly colored, matching scarves. They were sharing some cotton candy. The slightly shorter one of the pair was feeding the other one, who played the game nicely, opening his mouth wide like a little kid. Yugi couldn't help but stare at them despite the obviously intimate nature of their exchange. It looked like maybe they weren't just friends after all-

"In Australia it's called fairy floss."

Yugi jumped upon hearing the rich, unhurried voice from behind his shoulder.

"Yami! Hi! I'm sorry I'm late!"

He sprang from his cold, uncomfortable seat and stood up straight like a soldier at attention. Yami was wearing a light vest, its design similar to the school uniform but light grey instead of deep blue. Plus it looked more formal, and warmer.

"Don't worry, I know how meetings with Kaiba can be. I was expecting he'd be keeping you longer. Here," Yami said, handing Yugi a sober looking shopping bag.

Yugi took it by reflex, holding it as if it were some alien creature. He didn't know that specific brand, but it looked like one of those you may wear only if you have a title of nobility in your name.

"I can't- This is too much..."

"After getting here fifty minutes late, you're in no position to argue." Yami smiled mischievously. "It's just a little something I picked up while I was waiting. Come on, open it."

Yugi wanted to protest - he hadn't arrived here so late. Yet, he kept his rebuttal to himself and obeyed, eager not to displease Yami.

It was a plain chocolate brown scarf. It would almost look plain if it weren't from the prestige attached to it. But in its defense, it did come across as quality. The fabric felt massive and incredibly smooth.

"It's real wool," Yami remarked, a hint of pride in his voice. "Try it on."

Well, a scarf was a strange thing to give during Spring time, but then again, Yami didn't look like the type of person who relished in conformity. Yugi had his doubts about whether or not brown would get along with his purple sweatshirt and white running shoes, but he put it on nonetheless, wrapping it loosely around his exposed neck. The wool felt incredibly soft against his skin.

"Thank you," he said humbly. "It's nice."

Yami took a good look at him then smiled with contentment. He glanced at the clock tower, then leaned in without warning and gave Yugi a peck on the forehead - even less, barely a brushing of the lips - almost causing the shorter boy to stumble back. The unprecedented display of affection was over as quickly as it has begun, and made Yugi feel all warm inside his chest. Yami acted as if nothing happened.

Yugi definitely wasn't cold anymore. Or hungry. Or afraid. But nervous? Oh yes.

"Come on, let's go."

Yami then placed a hand against Yugi's shoulder blade to usher him out of the square as if he'd done this all his life. Yugi went along without resistance. He didn't understand how Yami did it - the way he maneuvered people at his will, like they were putty in his hands. Even Seto seemed to tolerate his whims.

Yugi looked at the Kaiba Corp tower on his left. He wondered what Kaiba was doing at this very moment.

And what about Mokuba? Was he enjoying himself like a kid his age should, or was he crunching numbers, already following his corporate giant of a brother's footsteps?

"You're rather quiet tonight."

"Yes."

"Oh, little Yugi." Yami glanced at him. Then back at every passerby on the street. "You don't need to act so stiff around me. We're supposed to be on a date, after all. Or are we?"

He stopped walking, giving Yugi his full attention in the form of a curious, playful look which made Yugi blush.

"Yes," Yugi confirmed.

"Oh, Little Yugi," he repeated with more amusement (than ever witnessed before) in his voice. "Can I call you that?"

Yugi didn't protest - he liked the idea of Yami bestowing a special pet name upon him - but he didn't really feel comfortable with the belittlement attached to this particular one.

"It's settled, then. Are you hungry, Little Yugi?"

Yugi shook his head.

"Good. I made the reservation for seven o'clock."

They took a left into a posher area. Historic Old Domino, where unreadable French names were carved onto wooden signs who in turn hung at every restaurant's entrance. Old fashioned lamp post adorned each side of the cobbled street, their purpose more decorative than functional. It was getting darker, but not quite nighttime still. One lady who crossed their path was wearing _fur_. She was an exception, but still.

Yugi suddenly self-conscious about the way he looked. He glanced at Yami, whose looks, which Yugi had previously deemed 'bordering on dull', now totally fit this new scene. It's as if the street they'd entered acted as a kind of filter to the rainbow of people that were loftily pacing Domino Square just a minute ago. The crowd here was significantly wealthier and just the sight of them made Yugi wish he'd dressed up more for the occasion. He would gladly trade his sneakers with the torturing black shoes his Grandfather made him wear for his cousin's wedding if he could.

Yami kept scanning the street, as a nocturnal creature on the prowl.

Yugi balled his hands. The scarf was keeping his chest and neck warm but his knees and fingers remembered the cold. He dug his hands in his pockets, itching to make small talk, but strangely comfortable just walking next to Yami in silence. He hoped he wasn't an incumbrance with his out of place attire.

As if he read his mind, Yami locked arms with Yugi, his wrist bending slightly around the shorter boy's bent elbow.


	17. The Date Part II

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**A/N Hello everyone! :D It's been too long ;_;  
>1) <strong>Whoever gave Bowl of Cherries a very public shoutout on yugiohfanfictionconfessions (tumblr) please stand up, (repeat:please stand up), because - _I wanna put a ring on it_. Seriously. I love you.  
><strong>2)<strong> PLUS: omigosh another nomination for the Best Puzzleshipping contest! We didn't make it past the tiebreaker last round (still, though, a tie!), but let's cross our fingers for this one! Thanks Jay, it was totally unexpected and warmed my little winter frozen heart!  
><strong>Cherry <strong>

**.**

**Chapter 17**

After having been offered a gift, been steered by Yami to a restaurant of _his_ choice, having the door opened and even his chair pulled for him, Yugi was now on automatic mode, happily waiting for events to unfold on their own.

He was thus stumped when the waiter asked him what he was going to order.

"Er..."

"It's just a drink," Yami said. "You can have anything you want."

Yugi bit his lip. There was too much choice on this list! And much of it he'd never heard of. The menu he'd been given had no prices on it, so he had no idea how big of a dent each item could make in the big fat check he'd just received at Kaiba Corp. The restaurant they were at seemed pretty expensive... Plus that money should go to the game shop in priority. He shifted in his seat.

"I really don't know. Can I have a water? I'll- I'll think about it."

"Just a water? Really? Let me think..."

Yugi felt bad for making the waiter wait.

"Have you ever had Italian soda? I'm sure you'll love it. It's decided." Yami turned to the waiter. "He'll have an Italian soda." Then to Yugi: "What kind of flavor do you like?"

"I don't know... There's so many!" Raspberry, cherry, hazelnut (what could _hazelnut_ possibly taste like in a drink?), grapefruit, bitter (?) orange, blackcurrant and other fruit and combinations he'd never _tasted _before... Yugi tapped his chin pensively. "Actually, I think I'll let you choose, Yami. You're the expert on this."

"Alright, then. We'll have two cherry flavored Italian sodas."

The waiter nodded mutely and walked away.

"I've never had a Italian soda before. What's it like?"

"It's fizzy water with sweet syrup. You'll love it."

"I'm sure of it." Yugi smiled politely. It felt weird to be here.

Yugi looked left and right. Their fellow patrons were nothing like himself and Yami; groups of young adults, or couples, probably childless, in rather formal clothing. Wine bottles were being passed around. Yugi thought that two male teenagers probably stood out in the room.

But they weren't getting looks, either, as Yugi had feared. The waiter addressed them with the same deference he did for all his clients. Despite all that, Yugi couldn't bring himself to feel like he belonged here. But Yami most definitely did, and suddenly Yugi wondered why he even came to Domino High at all. Everyday that Yugi saw him in class, Yami had been reading book, after book, after book, each one less related to class material than the other.

When he turned to meekly meet Yami's gaze, Yugi realized he'd been watching him all along. But it didn't feel like scrutiny. It felt like... Yami had a keen interest in him.

A bus boy walked by their table and gave each of them a water. Yugi took a timid sip of his own, looking at Yami all the while.

Yugi dipped a finger in his water, swirling the ice cubes around.

Yami smiled at him.

And then he didn't feel like an alien anymore, in one of Domino's poshest restaurants.

Someone came by and placed two drinks - the Italian sodas, probably - on their table.

But neither boys budged.

For a moment, Yugi did nothing but let himself be enveloped in Yami's affable gaze.

Warmth spread throughout Yugi's chest.

He smiled back at Yami, albeit a bit bashfully.

Then, when it bordered the unbearable, Yugi broke the gaze and went for his silk napkin. But before he could unfold it, Yami seized hold of his fingers and held them between his own.

Yugi took a deep breath in a vain attempt to quell the blush that bloomed on his cheeks. He looked at Yami, to see if he was going to tell Yugi something important.

But Yami wasn't looking at him in the eye anymore, only at the small, cold hand he was cradling in his own.

The blush spread to - if it even was possible - his _gut_. And it was pleasant.

Yami's hands were warm and soft. Very, very soft. And he had long fingers. Yugi couldn't even remember the last time he'd had someone touch his hand, let alone be touched at all in such an affectionate manner. Yami's eyes were unreadable from behind their long, dark eyelashes.

Yugi forced himself to relax. _There's no reason to panic, whatsoever, so chill out. _

Yami didn't say a word. He seemed perfectly calm, absorbed in something Yugi couldn't fathom. The boy risked a furtive glance to their right - God forbid other people were seeing them like this! Wasn't that sort of affection reserved for... Long time lovers or something of the sort?

When Yugi saw, from the corner of his eye, their assigned waiter near their table, he withdrew his hand from Yami's gentle grip.

And regretted it immediately.

Not that he missed the touch - it didn't feel bad or wrong, but it had taken him by surprise, and he just wasn't sure yet that he was ready for that sort of thing.

The waiter started explaining today's menu in elaborate terms. And Yugi didn't hear a single sentence of it, struggling as he was with the meaning beyond Yami's 'intimate handshake'. He didn't look like he was doing a palm reading.

In the end, it didn't matter. No, frankly, it did not matter at all.

_You're overthinking, Yugi! _

He tried to make eye contact with Yami who coolly listened to the culinary storytelling, his eyes glued to the waiter. Acting calmly as ever, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

And that sereneness on his part stung a bit in Yugi's heart. As if he didn't care.

_Stop it, you know that's not what he's thinking, actually you have no way of finding out what he's thinking - you're overthinking again! _

Yugi wasn't sure how much longer he could go on fighting these thoughts. Were all dates like this? By default? Was this normal?

Yugi couldn't believe he'd been looking _forward _to this torture! One moment it was soothing and wonderful and unlike anything he'd ever experienced, the next it was nerveracking and hopeless... He had dueled some of the nation's top fifty, yet this - plain sitting at a table in front of another person - was irrationally stressful. Okay, that other person was a _male _who had invited him on a _date _and therefore _openly expressed interest_ in him and it didn't help that Yugi had never gone through this sort of funny _romantic _business before but still... It shouldn't be so complicated to just sit and wait, no? He wasn't asked to do anything at all! Just _be there_.

And be nice, of course. But Yugi was nice by default; he couldn't help it.

The waiter was done talking before Yugi had a chance to catch anything. Yugi noticed with a pang of anguish that Yami had brought his hands on his lap. _Relax, it doesn't mean he's angry at you for having removed your hand earlier! _

"What do you think?"

"Um... I don't know. It looks equally good to me," he lied. "I guess I'll decide when we get the menus."

That made Yami laugh for some reason "Oh, little Yugi. There aren't any menus in here. _That _was the menu." He cocked his head towards the waiter.

Yugi gave them both a puzzled look.

"They only prepare so many meals every day, because they want to use fresh ingredients."

"Oh." Yugi still wasn't sure he was getting it.

"Well, you're definitely right. It does all seem delicious. But I think I'll go with the braised cod."

"Me too," Yugi added right away.

The waiter nodded and walked away wordlessly.

"So you like fish?"

Yugi nodded. _However-_

He didn't actually _like_ fish... At all.

He resented his grandfather's 'fish sticks Fridays' (_fish is _good _for you, Yugi!_). The mere thought made him wince.

But. If Yami liked it, this braised cod thigny, then, it must be good. He would never question Yami's tastes.

"Do you-"

"Where did-"

Yugi blushed, or rather, Yugi's blush returned. Yami chuckled.

"Go ahead."

"No, you first."

"No really. You speak so little tonight, and you're usually so talkative."

"Oh."

"Is it the ambiance?"

Yugi shook his head.

"Or is it me? Are you nervous because of me?"

Yugi shook his head emphatically.

Yami had seen through him. How embarrassing!

"Okay. So, you live with your grandfather, correct?"

"Yes. He usually cooks for me. I'm not a really good cook," said Yugi without conviction... It's not that he wasn't a good cook, it's just that he didn't cook at all. Because his grandfather was distrusting of Yugi using the kitchen appliances. So he had no way of knowing.

"It's a good thing, though. I miss my own grandmother's cooking."

"Where is she?" Yugi resisted covering his mouth with his hand - what if she had passed away?

"In Egypt."

Yugi was speechless.

"No, really, it's nothing special. I've been here for a long time."

"Oh."

Yugi didn't know what to ask / say / wanted to know or if he wanted to press further.

The conversation fell silent.

Yugi decided it was a good time to sample the Italian soda. Moisture had built up on the glass and was leaking in droplets, tracing a darker circle on the crimson tablecloth where the glass had stood.

It tasted strange at first, almost bitter - but soon after the sweet, dark cherry syrup came filling his mouth. The sparkly water tickled his taste buds.

"Yum! I like it!" Yugi said between two sips. Yami imitated him, but didn't voice his appreciation of the drink. There was no way of telling whether or not he even was appreciating it, in fact - he was wearing his 'cool and calm' mask again.

Yugi's fingers were wet from where they had touched the glass. He started wiping them on his shirt by reflex, but halted himself, aware of where he was, and went for the silk napkin.

He wondered if Yami would grab his hand again.

No, he actually... _anticipated_ it.

But nothing happened. Yami's elbows were resting gently against the table, his long, soft fingers intertwined.

Yugi undid the silk square a bit gauchely and the utensils came clattering against the table.

'Sorry,' Yugi mouthed. He wiped his hands and placed the napkin on his lap, then began arranging the utensils decently. He didn't know what was supposed to be where, so he tried again.

After three rearrangements, he exhaled deeply. _Stop getting riled up over the smallest things, little self!_

Ugh. 'Little self'. He was using Yami's 'pet name' now...

After a few final moments of anguish, Yugi came to the conclusion that it was best, for his sanity's sake, that he be honest with himself.

"Yami?"

"Yes?"

"I'm a little nervous."

Yami welcomed the confession. "I can see that!"

Yugi breathed easier.

"It's quite flattering actually."

"Um?"

"You being nervous. It means you care. Don't you?"

Yugi knit his brows in reproachful embarrassment. The tips of his ears were hot.

"I think..." He started meekly. "I don't know... Yami?"

"Yes, little Yugi?"

"Are you doing it on purpose? Make me nervous, I mean."

Yami guffawed. "I don't know. Maybe. you're just so easy to tease. I can't help it. Unconsciously, I mean."

"Oh."

Yugi wrapped his napkin around the soda and took another sip. "I've always liked to drink from a straw. Since I was a little boy," he said idly, to make conversation.

"I do too, actually."

"You don't look like the kind of person," Yugi paused, then didn't finish his sentence. He didn't want to sound offensive.

"What kind of person?"

Yugi squirmed in his seat.

"Don't feel shy! I'm not easily offended. Really. I'm curious now. I want to know what kind of person I look to you."

"Well..."

Yugi took another sip, buying time. But Yami was waiting.

"Well, you look like a, a serious person. Not the kind of person who would have a kiddy drink."

"You think Italian soda is a kiddy drink?"

"No! No, but, maybe, I mean, these people are having wine and it's probably expensive, too. And we're just sitting here, sipping from straws like little kids."

"You mean I look like you?"

"No, you're much taller."

Then Yugi caught on - Yami had just implied Yugi was a little kid.

"Hey! I'm not little. I'm short, but I'm not _little_."

"I was just kidding." Yami smirked. "...Little Yugi."

When Yugi opened his mouth to defend himself - that nickname wasn't as funny as Yami thought it was - a new waitress brought them a pair of reddish, creamy soup bowls. Yugi wanted to inform her that she'd gotten the wrong table, but he kept silent when Yami thanked her. She asked him if they needed anything else.

"No, everything is okay."

"What about you?" She turned to Yugi, all smile.

He shook his head eagerly, too shy to speak up. The waitress nodded then left, throwing a motherly wink at him - on the sly - on her way out.

Yami unwrapped a spoon and scraped the surface of the soup, brought it to his lips to test for temperature, then took it whole in his mouth.

Yugi just sat there, appalled. "But we're eating someone else's order!"

"Oh, but this is ours. It's part of the braised cod, of the meal we chose," replied Yami matter-of-factly.

Well, maybe he was right.

"You should try it. It's delicious."

"What is it?"

"Roasted red pepper."

"Pepper? Is it hot? I can't eat hot things."

"Oh can't you?" Yami asked playfully. Yugi wondered what there was to joke about.

"Don't worry, it's not spicy," Yami amended in a more serious tone.

"Oh. Okay then." But something was on his mind, that wouldn't let him touch the soup just yet.

Meanwhile, Yami was absolutely loving it, with all the aristocratic restraint one could muster in an establishment such as the one they were in.

"Are you not hungry?" He wiped the corners of his mouth with the serviette. Yugi could hear his grandpa's voice in his head, complaining how hard it was to wash stains on white clothing.

Yugi shook his head. It was a stupid question, but he needed to know. "Why do we have so many different waiters?"

"Oh! One of them actually isn't a waiter. The one who took our orders is more like a server. He understands the dishes and the flavours. He's specialized. The other only bring dishes to the table."

"Oh." Yugi stored the information in the category 'yet another of these things I didn't know before Yami told me'.

He then tasted the soup. It was not spicy at all, more like sweet. Bell pepper sweet.

And it was absolutely fantastic.

He took a spoonful, then another, completely forgetting that he should be social and talk to Yami.

When he'd scraped his bowl clean, Yugi was sad. He didn't want it to end. It was such a small serving, too! Why did rich people pay so much money for such little things?

Yami excused himself from the table, leaving Yugi behind to fiddle absent mindedly with the trim of his sweatshirt's sleeves.

He thanked the waiter who picked up their bowls with a nod and a smile. Immediately after him came the waitress from earlier, with the two platters of braised, erm... Braised _somethings_ that Yami had chosen for them.

"Thank you very much, Miss." Yugi stood upright, sporting his most polite smile.

She looked at him with surprised eyes before melting in a puddle of dawww.

"You're welcome! How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen, Miss."

"Oh my gosh, you're just adorable. Your boyfriend is so lucky!"

Yugi froze.

"Or is it your boyfriend? I assumed he might be your big brother, treating you for a special occasion, you know because of your..." She waved her hands around Yugi's hair. "But judging by the way he looks at you..." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "I'm not supposed to talk like this to customers, but between you and me, I can tell he's _really _into you. You don't need to worry about anything."

Yugi just gaped at her, feeling a mix of enchantment and incomprehension. And _enchantment_.

"It'll be alright." She winked again before dashing away.

Yugi's heart filled up with hope and other uplifting sentiments that even the sight of a plateful of _fish_ couldn't attenuate.

He poked some of the fish bravely. Then some of the vegetables.

There was no way he would force himself to a piece of fish the size of his entire hand just to look nice and please Yami.

The veggies looked good, though. And the sauce too. He wouldn't mind eating them.

Yugi drank water and gulped down the rest of his soda, not really knowing what to do. He'd be so hungry at the end of the evening if he didn't eat his plate!

Then he had an idea.

.

Yami finally returned to his seat, only to see his very own 'little Yugi' happily munching one of the vegetables from the huge pile on his plate.

"Are those my vegetables, by any chance?"

Yugi flashed him a sheepish grin.

"You know when I told you I liked fish? Well... I sort of lied about that."

Yami contemplated the two fish portions on his own plate.

"Well, more braised cod for me, I guess."

Yugi giggled.

.


	18. The Date Part III

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**AN:** Thank you for your reviews (you know who you are), I treasure them and quite frankly, they are my oxygen! Enjoy another Yami chapter :3 **Cherry**

**. **

**Chapter 18**

**.**

"Wow, this is nice."

"You haven't seen anything yet."

"I know, but it's still nice."

Yami turned on the lights. Yugi's eyes widened in wonder at the sight of the giant black and white photograph hanging in the hallway beneath a giant glass frame.

"Oh wow, this-"

"Oh, oh, Little Yugi," he declared, mock-exasperated. "This is just the lobby. I'm telling you, this is nothing."

"Oh. Sorry."

Yami opened his mouth as if to berate Yugi further for apologizing, then closed his lips in a half-smile and ruffled Yugi's hair instead. He then crouched to undo his shoelaces.

"What is it?"

"What?"

"The photograph."

"Oh. I don't actually know. It was a gift."

"Okay."

Yami stood back up and looked at Yugi expectantly.

"Well, are you going to take your shoes off?"

"Yes!"

Yami waited for him to undo his own shoe laces. Methodically, of course.

"I'm sorry about coming here. I- I would've fallen asleep if we'd gone to see a movie."

"It doesn't matter. There was nothing good anyway, right?"

Yugi shifted his weight. "Right."

He finally slipped out of his sneakers and followed Yami to the kitchen.

The apartment was incredible, something he'd only ever seen in movies. It looked so perfectly clean and high class and fashionable. Not a single object out of place. No litter, no dirty dishes on the counter. Not even a single brown spot on the indoor plant's leaves.

"I don't know how it survives. I don't remember watering it even once."

Yugi withdrew his fingers from around the bright green leaf. "Really? It really looks healthy though."

"Silviana takes care of it."

Yami nonchalantly leaned over the open fridge door.

"Silviana?"

"The maid."

Yugi didn't know what to say to that. _He_ didn't have a maid.

"Comes in everyday."

"Even on the weekends?"

"Even on the weekends. Do you want anything to drink?"

"Water. Just a water will be fine."

"There's..." Yami moved the fridge's contents. "Ordinary or sparkling water."

"What flavor?"

"No flavor," Yami said flatly, still engrossed in the fridge's insides, "it's just plain sparkling water. I guess you can say it tastes a little tart. Maybe you wouldn't like it."

"I'll have the ordinary type, then." Yugi stood still, resisting the urge to fiddle with his fingers as he watched Yami rummage some more through the contents of his refrigerator.

Yugi eventually gave his his nervous urges and laid his left foot over his right foot. Then hugged himself. He was cold.

Yami noticed right away. "Take your sweater off," he said somewhat casually.

"What?"

"Take your sweater and scarf off. They're full of the outside cold. It'll take forever for you to warm up." He paused. "I'll get you something, I've got plenty of shirts." Yami unscrewed the cap and handed the water bottle to Yugi. Then he started walking off to what Yugi presumed to be his bedroom.

"No, really I'm okay-"

Yami interrupted his bout of self-deprecation with a disbelieving glare.

"I mean, thank you Yami," he amended.

Yami shook his head and walked back to Yugi, gave him a fleeting peck on the forehead (which made Yugi blush hard enough to not feel cold at all anymore) and resumed his initial trajectory.

The carved glass bottle was so gorgeous, Yugi would feel bad even _drinking_ from it. He laid it on the table and proceeded to unwrap his scarf from around his neck, than take off his sweater. He was getting the thing to go over his neck when a pair of warm hands around his waist startled him.

"Relax, I'm going to do anything," Yami said in a teasing tone, stepping back immediately. He placed the piece of clothing he'd brought back from his bedroom on one of the chairs perfectly matching the kitchen table.

Yugi slipped out of his sweater instantly and brought his arms to his sides. "I'm ticklish," he said meekly in his defense. It didn't help that he was cold again now that he was only in his sleeveless T-shirt.

Although he hadn't minded the touch. He'd only been surprised! But he... wasn't sure he liked being sneaked up on like that.

"Ticklish, huh? Good to know." Yami flashed him a devilish grin, which caused Yugi to yelp.

"I- I'd rather you not tickle me..."

Yami shook his head again, taking cautious little steps towards Yugi. "Just relax. You're here because you like me, right?" He now stood just a few inches away from Yugi, who stood completely still, his chest taking in many small, quick little breaths. "And I'm here because I like you, too." It sounded reassuring, soothing, just right...

Yet this came as a surprise to Yugi. Sure, that was true enough. That was what he felt. He was kind of glad Yami put it in words for him, so that he wouldn't have to.

He took a deep breath. Clung to the discarded clothing in his hands like they protected him against something invisible. _Everything's going to be alright_, he told himself.

Gently, Yami pried Yugi's scarf and sweater away from his hands and laid them on the table.

He was so close Yugi could smell anything there was to smell on him - his soap or maybe shampoo or fabric softener, a faint whiff of the garlic that was on the fish earlier, and maybe still a bit of that unique unnameable 'outdoorsy', cold evening air smell...

Slowly, Yami lifted his arms towards Yugi. His hands hovered at the his lithe frame.

He looked at the shorter boy like he was studying him.

Then he lowered his voice.

"Can I?"

Yugi nodded to something, he wasn't exactly sure what. Maybe he simply nodded because he trusted Yami.

Yeah. That was it.

_Trust_.

Yami placed his hands on Yugi's hips.

Lightly, then firmly.

Yugi felt a shiver run through his spine. He'd never been touched like this.

It was scary.

But it felt good at the same time.

But still scary.

Yami's hands moved up to Yugi's arms.

"You have goosebumps," Yami chuckled. He spoke slowly, his voice having dropped an octave. Then he began rubbing Yugi's chilly arms up and down, shoulder to elbow.

"Yeah," Yugi murmured after a moment, like a huge weight was leaving his shoulders.

"Want me to warm you up?" Yami's teasing voice sounded incredibly reassuring. Barely more than a murmur, yet so powerful.

Yugi swallowed. He was beginning to feel like...

Yami leaned towards Yugi now so that their faces were so close Yugi couldn't bear looking him in the eye.

"Um, yeah," Yugi replied, his voice breaking from being nervous. Yeah, he could use being warmed up, even though he didn't exactly know what to expect.

A victorious smile tugged at the corner of Yami's lips. He encircled his arms around Yugi's shoulders and help him close.

Yugi did everything in his power not to stiffen.

He willed himself to relax even though he wasn't in the most comfortable position. His knees were bending just a tiny little bit and it was getting tiring, but Yugi didn't want Yami to have to readjust his arms, his posture, so he stayed still.

When he realized he needed air, he took in a deep breath into Yami's chest.

Yami seemed oblivious to Yugi's ordeal.

His arms, which looked so thin and wiry, felt so strong around Yugi.

"I've been waiting for this, you know," said Yami as his embrace tightened. At this point, Yugi gave in alt let himself melt against Yami's body completely, hesitant arms wrapping themselves around Yami's waist in turn. They rested lightly against Yami, as if Yugi tried not to crush him.

This simple gesture earned a slight, almost inaudible whimper from Yami.

No, a grunt. A possessive - or simply a satisfied grunt. Yugi couldn't tell which.

Yugi never thought his first homosexual experience per se - of course, this wasn't sexual in any way, but it definitely wasn't about friendship, either - would happen like this. Standing in the kitchen of a mysterious crush who was really more of a stranger than a classmate or a friend to him. He'd always imagined his first time would be more romantic, something along the lines of 'I love you' followed by a kiss.

He felt Yami's chest expand against his own. If he lowered his head just a little, maybe he could hear his heart...

The strange thought of Yami not having a heart, of Yami being a strange unnatural creature, crossed his mind at this moment. It was unrealistic of course, but it would sort of fit Yami's secretive, elusive personality.

Just as he was getting used to Yami's warmth, the embrace loosened a little. Yami's arms retreated but his hands continued their pilgrimage from shoulder to shoulder blade to shoulder again to collarbone, and Yugi didn't budge at all when Yami sent his lips grazing against Yugi's jawline.

ugi should be shaking from nervousness by now, but he still didn't budge once the touch was over. It's not that he was in control. Yugi was plain _petrified_.

It was a 'good' petrify, if you will; the first rush of adrenalin not induced by a the thrill of playing a video game or watching one of these movies where the two protagonists show that they are really, really in love with one another.

Yami waited for a second, then mutely planted his lips on Yugi's cheek. Twice.

Yugi wanted to _melt_ in Yami's arms, right now. His knees were threatening to give in. Again, Yami paused to get a good look at Yugi, who for once mustered enough bravery to look back at him.

Yami's gaze was hard and earnest. To soothe him maybe, Yugi smiled back at him by reflex. A smile as week as his knees, but a smile nonetheless. He didn't really understand what was going on except that Yami was nice and he smelled good and he was scared but he trusted him because he really liked him.

Yami didn't miss a beat.

He cupped Yugi's chin and kissed him.


	19. The Date Part IV

**A Bowl of Cherries**

by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**Chapter 19**

Yugi pushed him back by reflex.

Yami watched him stumble backwards until he met the kitchen table.

"Whoa there, I'm not going to eat you," Yami let out with a snake like smile.

"I know-" Yugi's eyes darted left and right, as if he was looking for something. For an explanation, most likely.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Yugi whispered meekly in his defence. "I don't... I'm not..."

"There," Yami said, taking slow steps towards Yugi, intent on resuming their embrace. "It's alright."

Yugi flinched when Yami's overconfident hands reached for his hips again. That wouldn't have deterred the taller teen, but the side step that followed did. Yugi inched further away from Yami even after he'd indicated he wasn't coming any closer.

"What is it?"

"I'm..." Yugi mumbled something that didn't make it past his purple cheeks.

"Are you afraid?"

"No," a little louder this time. "I'm not afraid," Yugi said in one breath.

"Little Yugi..."

"I didn't think that..." He couldn't help touching his lips where Yami's had been. They'd _kissed_! Yami had kissed him! Out of the blue!

"You're afraid," Yami stated with finality.

"I'm _not _afraid."

"Try that again. But look at me in the eye, this time."

Yugi took one, two, three deep breaths for courage, then bravely lifted his head to return Yami's gaze.

Hesitant, he parted his lips as if to speak, closed them in defeat, parted them again to have nothing but silence escape his throat.

Yami cocked his head to the side and smiled disbelievingly.

"It's just that I've never kissed anyone before." The end of the sentence was barely audible. Without realizing, Yugi began toying with the sweather Yami had brought from his bedroom.

"How could it be otherwise? You told me you've never dated before. Of course you've never kissed anyone."

Yugi lowered his head again, feeling a mix of gentle sorrow and confusion. "But if you knew... Then why..."

"Then why wait?" Yami's voice took an enthusiastic edge.

Yugi pulled the chair where Yami's shirt was hanging and sat at the lifeless table, slouching a little. He really did want to shrink until he disappeared. This was so embarrassing! Not only he didn't understand how he was feeling, but he couldn't even find one good reason for feeling so.

"Then... It doesn't mean that... It's just..." Yugi shook his head at the silent argument going on in his head. His host took a seat across the table in front of him.

Yugi's eyes couldn't be seen. He took one loud breath and bit his lip. On his lap, where Yami couldn't see, he was balling his fists.

"Hey."

Yami reached towards Yugi, who tilted his head back imperceptibly. Yami withdrew his hand.

"Hey. Little One. Don't be like that."

Yugi let out another frustrated sigh and looked at his lap more intensely.

"Yugi..."

When his guest remained impassible to his attempts and comforting him, Yami pushed the glided water bottle towards him.

"You still thirsty?"

"I'm okay," Yugi uttered in a croaky whisper.

"Hey! Hey, don't be like that! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

_What way?_

"I had no idea. I didn't mean to hurt you." Yami extended his arm, palm up. "Yugi..." He called out softly. "Yugi, give me your hand."

Instead of taking the offer, he went for the water bottle. Yami sat back, feeling reassured.

Yugi sniffled. Chinned up and looked at Yami straight in the eye.

"It's not _you_. I mean, it's not that I don't like you."

Yami acknowledged with a nod.

"It's just that I'm not ready yet."

"I know." Yami sighed and looked sideways. "I can be pushy sometimes."

Yugi let out a strangled chuckle. "I know."

Which earned him a short lived frown, followed by a smile. Yami ached to ruffle Yugi's hair until he (cutely) begged for mercy.

They sat there in a silence punctuated by the low hum of the refrigerator, Yugi taking timid sips of his water, Yami seemingly content just looking at him.

"I'm really sorry, Yugi."

"It's okay." He placed the empty bottle on the table. "Don't worry. I'm not angry. I was just... surprised, that's all."

"I know. I know, I won't do it again. Unless you ask me to," he replied with a sly grin.

Yugi sniffled. "Mind if I go to the bathroom?"

"You don't need to ask me."

"I don't know where it is."

"It's not that big," Yami said, gesturing to the rest of the apartment behind Yugi.

"I know but... I don't like to peek."

"Alright, then." He stood up, followed by Yugi, and led him to the bathroom, turning on the light.

"Oh, and, could you turn on the lights in the kitchen, too? I find it a little dark."

"I was thinking we could spend the rest of the evening in the living room."

"Oh."

"You don't want to?"

"I thought we could go see a movie."

"You said you'd fall asleep if we did."

"I'm not sleepy anymore." Indeed, his heart was awake and kicking.

Yami sighed. "I don't know if we'll make it in time to the movie theater. Maybe we could watch a movie here?"

Yugi pursed his lips, absorbed in thought.

"Well, let me know what you think, okay? I have pay per view, so we can rent pretty much anything. Is there an old movie you'd been wanting to watch?"

"Maybe. I'll think about it."

Yugi visibly wanted out, feeling uncomfortably squeezed between Yami and the bathroom's narrow door frame. Yami seemed to sense his unease, walking out and closing the door behind him.

Yugi had never seen a bathroom like this, not in someone's home anyway. He started to have a feeling like... He'd get to see more and more 'never before seen' things if he kept hanging around Yami.

This bathroom looked and smelled like a showroom bathroom. It looked unused. Everything in its place. The stand-alone sink, a glass bowl-shaped object on a stainless steel pillar, didn't have a cabinet full of miscellaneous cleaning supplies in it. And next to the door, there was a table prettier than the one he had in his own home, with on top a basket full of carefully rolled washcloths piled in the shape of a pyramid. Under the table was a laundry basket seemingly designed for the sole purpose of holding these discarded towels.

Yugi emptied his bladder full of the Italian soda and washed his hands with soap that smelled like expensive perfume. He apologized when he grabbed the top most roll, breaking the harmony of the towel pyramid, and laid it in the other basket.

One good look at his face informed him of several blemished he'd never seen before. The lights were strong, not like the yellow, old light bulbs in his own bathroom, and sent back in perfect detail every detail of his skin.

It was interesting to be able to see one's face in such great detail, but it must be depressing to see it everyday. It must be depressing for Yami.

At least that probably meant the redness in his eyes wasn't as bad as it let on. The knot in his throat had faded. That was good news, at least.

He felt easier with the idea of staying over. He truly did believe Yami wouldn't try to make another pass at him without warning.

For the rest of this evening, at least.

He found Yami on an imposing leather couch in the living room, browsing through movie titles, and potentially having trouble doing so. Yugi gently sat next to him at the edge of the sofa, keeping a respectable distance between them, but not too much, either - he didn't want Yami to think he was being rejected. Really, it's not that he wanted to keep Yami out of his secret garden - it's just that he wasn't ready yet to let anyone in _period_...

"Anything you want to watch?"

Yugi looked at Yami wrestling with the menus.

"I like pretty much anything except for horror movies."

"I don't mind either. You can choose." Yami then handed the remote over, with obvious relief.

Yugi smiled to himself. Yami didn't look like he watched much television. He felt Yami's gaze over his shoulder. Was he proud, too? Afraid to ask Yugi how the thing worked? This little quirk made Yami look less imposing and more human to him.

And so, Yugi was able to sit back and relax.

"I've been wanting to see this," he said, clicking on a fantasy/adventure movie he didn't get to see in theaters. It would probably be just as good here, seeing how wide Yami's TV screen was.

Yami shrugged in indifferent consent. Yugi bit his lower lip.

"Are you sure you don't mind? We could watch something else."

"No, really, anything's fine. I haven't seen anything on there, so it won't make a difference," he insisted.

"It's because of those books, huh," Yugi mused out loud.

Yami recollected his thoughts for a moment. "Yeah, I read a lot of books," he confirmed, although without too much conviction.

Yugi didn't press further. There was something else on Yami's mind...

"What?"

"Nothing," Yugi replied, blushing. He chuckled lamely. "I wished I had my deck."

"Your deck?"

"We could duel."

"Oh. Duel Monsters."

"Yeah." Yugi shrugged a bit shyly. "Maybe next time."

Yami smiled. "So there _will _be a next time."

"Of course. I mean, if you want to. I know I'm not especially fun to be around." _Well I know I can be, it's just that whenever I'm around you for some reason I become all kinds of boring..._

"That's the least true thing to ever come out of your mouth."

"Oh."

"You're anything but boring, Yugi."

"Okay." Yugi wanted the undeserved praise to end _now_.

"So of course, I still want to be around you. I want to get to know you better." Yami inched himself closer to Yugi until the 'little one' couldn't contain his squirming anymore.

"Okay." Yugi couldn't hide a faint smile.

"You talk as if this date were over, though. It's barely even nine yet."

"Nine? Wow, time went fast," he replied, inching away from Yami and reganing a normal breathing rhythm at the same time.

Yami's smile faltered. He opened his mouth to ask something, but let it drop.

"That movie's fine. Tell you what - if I really don't like it I'll tell you and we can change, okay?"

"Okay."

Yugi started the movie, placing the remote between himself and Yami. He couldn't help but throw him glances throughout the opening credits. He sat back with his arms and legs crossed and a slight frown on his sleepy face. He really was a bad liar. It was obvious he wasn't really going to watch the movie.

Besides, he'd probably only agreed on it to get a chance to cuddle with Yugi or something (or maybe more, he didn't want to start speculating about it), and had sensed that Yugi wasn't digging the idea. Yugi wasn't sure he could fully concentrate on the movie, either. The date hadn't gone particularly well and he was afraid that Yami was only expressing his wish for another one just out of politeness.

Setting those thoughts aside, Yugi let his head fall back and closed his eyes a little. He was feeling quite tired all of a sudden.

.

Yugi's brain felt like a sponge bloated in warm water.

He'd dozed off.

He turned blurry eyes to Yami, who was in the same position as earlier, sleeping as well. In front of them, the minute white on black texts rolling upwards on the screen. The ending credits! They'd missed the whole movie.

Yugi rubbed the blurriness away from his eyes and looked at his watch. He had to leave soon if he wanted to take the last bus back to Elmwood. Anxiously, he looked at Yami's peacefully sleeping form, back at his watch, then back to Yami.

"I have to go," he whispered. Come on, Yugi! It'll take more than that to wake him. He cleared his throat. "Erm, Yami? Yami, I have to go."

The taller teen uncrossed his arms and squinted his eyes. "How was it? I think I fell asleep."

"It was good," Yugi lied, unable to suppress a little smile.

Yami studied him. "I don't believe you!"

Yugi chuckled. "I'm sorry you had to pay for it though."

"Don't mention it. Money's the least of my problems."

"Okay."

"Were you cold?"

"No, the living room's warmer than the kitchen. But thanks for the sweater, though. I'm sure it was really warm."

"Little Yugi." Yami shook his head.

"I'm sorry I woke you up. I really have to go."

"You can stay over if you like."

Yugi's internal fire alarm went off. He sprang up from his seat. "I have to take the bus..." He tip toed to the kitchen, as if running was going to disturb the natural silence that permeated Yami's apartment.

He grabbed his own hoodie and new scarf, trotted back to the living room to say goodbye to Yami and ended up in the hallway to tie his shoelaces.

When he stood back up, Yami was in front of him. Inches away from him.

"Th-thank you for everything."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"N-no, my Grandfather is waiting for me." Yugi winced; he hated the excuse, although it was true - but his Grampa probably would okay a sleepover like this - but then it was just easier to fend off Yami's insistence like this.

As Yugi grabbed the door handle Yami closed around him, leaning towards Yugi, encircling him with his slender arms. "What about a goodnight kiss...?" He had made his voice extra creamy and tempting.

Yugi couldn't suppress a blush. "The- The bus... I've got to go... Good night Yami." He hitched himself up on his toes and gave him a peck on the cheek for good measure, and slipped away.

Even inside the elevator, his heart was still beating like crazy.


	20. Back to School

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**Chapter 20**

**.**

Anzu was standing by the school gates, and Yugi instinctively felt she'd been waiting for him. Indeed, she turned her head at this very moment and waved, then started walking in his direction.

"Hey Yugi!"

"Hi Anzu."

Somehow, seeing Anzu made him feel guilty. He almost stopped in his tracks. Should he tell her that he saw Yami? If he did, would he say it was a date? Or should he hide the event altogether? Maybe he could simply avoid the topic altogether.

"So what did you do this weekend?"

Bummer.

"I... Homework and other stuff. Helping Grandpa with the store." It was a bit of a stretch to label his weird afternoon at Kaiba Corp 'help with the store', but technically it _was_ on behalf of Kame Game Shop, so it wasn't technically a lie...

"Oh. Me too, actually. Then my parents had friends over for dinner, so I helped mom, too. With the cooking. But for the rest it was mostly homework, yeah."

Anzu then asked Yugi if they could compare Health Ed notes at some point. Luckily enough, she dropped the 'weekend' topic altogether. They walked to their lockers together.

"We should have dueled this weekend."

"Yeah but the guys couldn't..."

"I know. Maybe we could do something on the weeknights instead. Maybe we could go to SuperWorld!"

SuperWorld was the biggest - and the best - arcade, located downtown.

"Yeah, that could be nice. I'll have to ask Grandpa what days he doesn't need me. I'll call you tonight to let you know."

"Cool! I'll check with the guys, then." Anzu was in more classes with Joey and Tristan than Yugi was.

Gleeful at the thought of their prospective get together, Anzu linked arms with Yugi. The intimate gesture took a whole different meaning now that it was made in a friendship context. Anzu was more forceful than Yami had been, but also more comfortable with Yugi. He remembered how delicate Yami had acted, around Yugi before going to the restaurant. Even though his words were authoritative, his gestures were carefully studied, calculated. Anzu's felt more honest and spontaneous in comparison.

Yugi felt a pang at his heart and decided to come clean with Anzu.

"You know, I've seen Yami this weekend."

Anzu didn't let go, but Yugi felt her stiffen.

"Oh. When?"

"Sunday evening."

When Anzu didn't reply, he added: "Yesterday."

"Oh."

They unlocked arms as they reached Yugi's locker.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said-"

"No, no, you don't have to be sorry," Anzu insisted. "You can be friends with whoever, Yugi."

"Okay."

"Well, I gotta go, but I'll see you later in trig, okay?"

"Okay." Before he can wave at her, she's gone, lost amidst the sea of students.

.

Monday morning, first period. Yugi slumped towards Health Ed, where he was sure to meet Yami. Silly how warped our minds can get when we think about the same thing for too long.

Yugi spent a good portion of the previous night (and early morning) rehearsing, in his mind, what he was going to tell Yami upon seeing him in that classroom. And despite plentiful consideration, he hadn't been able to decide which scenario was the best.

He walked into the classroom, anxiously looking for Yami. When he didn't see him, Yugi stepped forward, erratically, not knowing which of the five or six remaining available seats he was going to take. The one in the back, the chair Yami had been sitting on when Yugi revealed Anzu's letter by accident, was vacant. Yugi assumed Yami would be sitting in it already, book in hand, were he to come to class today. Every surrounding seat was taken, by the least serious students (nothing less), so Yugi didn't feel inclined to venture in the land of let's-tease-Yugi-to-pass-the-time, either.

He was still sitting in the front of the classroom when the last students came in, including Yami, who coolly walked past Yugi without any indication of recognition on his part. He hadn't even looked in his direction.

_Well, maybe he didn't notice me_, thought Yugi.

Yami settled as predicted in the back of the classroom. Yugi found himself staring blankly at the only remaining empty desk in the classroom - the one in the middle of the front row.

Next to Weevil, who was eyeing Yugi.

"Oh hi Weevil," said Yugi, startled. "Didn't see you." He sat down and undid his backpack. "How was your weekend?" Yugi felt weird for a moment, rehashing Anzu's exact words. What if Weevil didn't want to talk about his weekend? What if Weevil wanted, rather to talk about something else, just like Yugi did just a few minutes ago.

"I went to your store yesterday and you weren't there," he said a tad more abruptly than necessary. But Yugi was starting to see patterns in Weevil's behaviors and concluded that even though that declaration felt like a reproach, it was probably more neutral that it sounded.

"Oh... Sorry," Yugi replied, not really knowing what to reply. Wait, do you really have to apologize for that? "You... You should have told me you were coming!"

Weevil grunted but Yugi wasn't sure, because it happened exactly as the bell rang. The teacher handed a surprise quiz to every student; a low hum of disapproval rose in the room.

"This doesn't count but it'll go towards your participation marks, so make sure you do your best. I'm grading for effort, guys!"

And the classroom fell silent.

Yugi was done pretty quickly. After he put his pen down and flipped over his quiz, he risked a furtive glance in Weevil's direction.

Not only Weevil was done already, he was looking at Yugi, who threw his head back slightly, by reflex. Then he risked a polite smile, so as not to make Weevil feel rejected by his gesture.

In lieu of reaction, Weevil turned away, produced a scrap of paper from one of his pockets, and started scribbling on it.

Yugi looked away and sighed, tapping his fingers slightly on the desk, embarrassed. Then the crumbled piece of paper landed on Yugi's desk. He gave Weevil a quick, inquisitive look. Weevil remained still. Just as Yugi was about to turn away, Weevil jerked his chin in the paper's direction, as if to invite Yugi to read it. He did.

"We should duel again."

Yugi rubbed a few wrinkles out of the paper and grabbed his own pen to write a reply. He put his hand on his mouth, tapped at his lips with one finger, then laid the pen on the paper, immobile. He didn't actually know what he wanted to reply. He tapped further at his lip and pushed the little piece of paper away, giving Weevil a polite smile for an answer instead.

Weevil then, through non-verbal language, requested the paper back, and added something to his previous message. This time, instead of tossing, he handed Yugi the note. Their fingers touched lightly. Yugi glanced at the teacher who, was busy reading and annotating whatever, and then glanced at Yami, who was confidently sitting back, legs crossed, absorbed in a small book.

Unsurprising.

Yugi read the note addendum.

"Do you play chess?"

He waved his head sideways, indicating a sort of 'sort of' stance. He knew the rules well, along with a few strategies. He'd also played quite a bit with his Grandpa back in the days, but he was nowhere near the level of mastery he had achieved in Duel Monsters.

Now he was wondering whether Weevil had meant 'can you play chess' or 'do you play chess on a regular basis'. It didn't matter anyway.

The teacher broke the silence to ask every one to compare their answers with their neighbors. Naturally, Weevil turned to Yugi.

"So you play chess?"

"Well, not really." Yugi placed both their tests side by side.

"But you _can_."

"Yeah, you could say that. Haven't played in a while, though." Yugi wanted to explain how he liked the interactivity and freedom of card based strategy games better, but sensed that Weevil wouldn't really listen to that, for some reason. So, since it was pointless to get started, Yugi just stayed silent. He started going over the quizzes' answers to see if they had gotten the same thing. But Weevil kept interrupting.

"I'm in the Chess Club."

"Oh," said Yugi mechanically, focusing on the answers. "That's nice."

"I'm the president, in fact."

"Okay."

Done. They both had answered pretty much the same things. Yugi was going to let his neighbor, Weevil, know when the platinum blue haired boy interrupted him.

"Does Yami play chess?"

The question threw him back. Yugi looked around by reflex, just to see if any of his classmates had caught any of that. Nope. They were too busy comparing answers or at least pretending to. The girl and the guy behind them were discussing the school cafeteria menu.

"Uh... I don't know, why do you ask?"

"You guys are friends."

Yugi held his breath. Were they so obvious? Was there any subtext to Weevil's little sentence?

"We're in a lot of the same classes, so yeah, sometimes-"

Weevil averted his eyes. "You'd rather be sitting next to him, huh."

"What? N-no!" Alas, Yugi's white lie came a second too late. It didn't help that he couldn't resist throwing another glance in his crush's direction, either.

_Of course I'd rather be sitting next to him! After the way I treated him yesterday..._ Yugi wanted to make up more than ever now. _Nothing against you, Weevil! _

The teacher called the class to attention, picking up the little quizzes. "Tomorrow's Advisory, so make sure you're attending class. We're going to be taking personality tests and use the results of those every class after that. So if you miss tomorrow you'll have to come do the test sometime after school or else you'll be missing out entirely. Any questions?"

The teacher moved on to today's topic.

Yugi avoided looking in Weevil's direction for the rest of the class, and when the bell rang, he darted out of the classroom. He was not in the right state of mind to address Yami at the moment, even though he'd been spending the whole lecture replaying in his mind yesterday's little scenarios again, and again, and again.


	21. Oh, Weevil

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**AN **We've reached the 100 alerts mark! :D Thank you each and everyone of you lovely readers, and extra thanks to those of you who took time to drop a review! Love and kisses, _**Cherry**_

**.**

**Chapter 21**

**.**

Yugi would have had a hard time concentrating on second period if it weren't Science, which he quite enjoyed. His mood was pretty low throughout the class.

Luckily for him, Joey and Tristan had plenty of stories to share with him over the lunch break. It brightened his mood a little. That, plus their enthusiasm over Anzu's plan to go to the arcade later this week (date to be announced). Everyone was going to hang out like in the good old days and have a good time. No butterflies in the stomach, no crushes, no rivalries, no worries. Just good old-fashioned electronic gaming fun!

Yugi went to trig after lunch, his heart a little lighter, and feeling ready, maybe, to confront Yami about yesterday's fugue and this morning's avoidance. The shorter teen walked straight to the back of the classroom where the not-so-new transfer student was sitting, book in hand, as usual.

"Hi Yami," our short hero chirped. "What are you reading?"

Yami took a moment before closing his book around his finger and looking at Yugi. His movements were calm and calculated, as always, but his gaze was on the cooler side.

"Hello, Yugi," he said evenly.

Next to him, Kaiba was settling down, plugging the various devices that were to him as necessary as oxygen. He was ignoring the pair completely. Yugi's gaze returned to Yami's, who was sporting a faint, polite smile.

Had Yami's smile always been like this, was this his neutral? Or was Yami... _upset_? Yugi had a hard time telling which.

"So how are you today, Yugi?"

"I, erm..." Yugi lost all of the willpower that had inhabited him upon entering the classroom. Which was filling up rapidly with students - potential onlookers. He got even more nervous. "I'm okay, I guess," he said evasively.

"That's nice." Yami dove back into his book.

Yugi felt unwanted, but he pressed on nonetheless. He had to get it out. How _bad_ he felt for having run away from Yami like that. Of course, he couldn't just come out in the open like this, in class, and next to Kaiba. This stuff was pretty intimate.

"Yami, what- what are you doing after school?"

"I already have plans for tonight, little Yugi," he said quietly, still reading, or at least _pretending _to read his book.

Yugi had never been so happy to hear his quirky nickname like that. Maybe Yami wasn't angry after all! Perhaps just a little upset. Yes, that made more sense. He was bound to have been hurt by Yugi's... escape.

Yami flipped another page, still feigning to look disinterested. The bell was about to ring and they both knew it.

"Maybe we can talk later, then," said Yugi, eager to end their conversation before anyone became suspicious.

"Maybe," Yami acquiesced, sounding neither for, nor against, the idea.

Yugi walked to the front of the classroom, where he usually sat with Anzu.

Much to his dismay, his usual seat by the window was taken. By Anzu of all people! And Anzu's own usual seat was taken by none other than _Weevil_. Yugi had no choice but to go and sit _behind_ them, in the last available chair the room had to offer.

And it was next to Brian The Great. You have to know that ever since the 'incident' with Yami, people had become more and more reluctant to sit with the Brian, whose fanbase had naturally dwindled, as well.

Yugi squeezed past him. The bell rang at the very moment he sat, next to the window. Yugi nodded to Anzu when she turned around to greet him silently, giving her friend an apologetic shrug, pointing at Weevil behind his back.

'Can't be helped', Yugi shrugged back. But truly he was pissed. Pissed? Is that even part of Yugi's palette of emotions? Maybe that was a little strong. But when you look at it closely...

From this moment on, yes, _pissed _he was. Well, a little bit at least. Weevil had most certainly taken that seat on purpose just to be close to Yugi; Anzu had visibly done _nothing _to prevent him from doing so; the man he'd tried to apologize to had given him the cold shoulder him and next thing Yugi knew, he had to sit next to _Brian_ during his _favorite _class: trigonometry.

So in conclusion, _yes_, Yugi _could _allow himself to be a little angry. Not that he'd act upon it. It was him to actually 'get' angry. Big difference!

He began unpacking his backpack as the teacher started going over the homework. Just to annoy his favorite new neighbor, Brian pushed his own textbook and pencil case over to Yugi's side of the table, encroaching on the boy's personal space for no reason.

"Knock it off, Brian," Yugi let out, irritated, before he realized what he said - and before a flabbergasted Anzu could defend him herself.

"Yugi, Brian, is something going on?"

Yugi's first reaction to the teacher's remark was to shrink. Well, that was his first _desire_, anyway. He actually stayed quite immobile, still unsure _why _he'd actually spoken up, and _what _he was going to do next. Thus, it was Brian who had to speak up to break the awkward silence.

"No, sir." Really, there was nothing Brian could say or invent this time to save himself. It's not like he could accuse Yugi of _assaulting_ him; even if he had, no one would believe him.

Anzu gave Yugi one last appreciative look before turning back to the teacher. Weevil seemed detached from the whole situation, and for the rest of the class, well, Yugi didn't dare give his classmates a panoramic glance. He was actually blushing! But it wasn't a romance-induced blush. It wasn't a crush-blush. Just a 'I'm proud of something I did' -blush.

A few people were whispering behind Yugi. He even heard a few muffled laughs, which the teacher seemed to notice but not pay actual attention to.

Gathering all the resolve he could muster, Yugi pushed Brian's stuff away coolly. It was clear by now he wouldn't do it himself. To his surprise, all Brian did was something between chewing his lower lip and... pout.

Yugi didn't act on his surprise. So not only he could actually stand up to Brian, but he could also do so without having to fear any consequences!

Not that pouting was going to do Yugi harm anytime soon.

The homework was dealt with quickly, and soon the teacher delved into some new theory, which Yugi was not, for once, familiar with. Thanks to - or because of - all the recent emotional turmoil in his life, he hadn't had time to do his school readings in advance. What was going to happen next, was he going to start coming late to class? Yugi felt he should be fearing for his academic future, but that fear was short-lived. Or maybe he was just numbed inside by the prospect of meeting Yami again in an unspecified future to discuss the unspecified relationship that bonded them (or not).

Yugi listened to the math teacher with rapt attention.

He didn't notice at first, when Brian started kicking Weevil's chair, much like he'd done to him a few weeks ago.

Yugi didn't want to do anything about it at first, once he realized what was going on. Not that he wanted Weevil to have to go through the same ordeal he had. He didn't have anything against the little guy. Weevil just had this strange vibe to him, a vibe that didn't make Yugi want to stand up for him for some reason.

Yugi actually felt relieved when Anzu turned around to give Brian a long, hard stare, stopping all leg activity for a few minutes at least. Yugi mentally thanked Anzu for her generosity.

Who knew, maybe it was just for herself that she'd done it; maybe she was actually bothered by the noise and not the bullying per se. Maybe she wasn't really standing up for Weevil at all.

Then Brian started kicking again. No one could hear, for they were now starting a team practice session. The sound was thus covered by the increasingly loud chatting of the students.

Was there anyone in the world who was willing to stand up for Weevil? Yugi started to wonder.

But he didn't have the guts to take a risk and confront Brian again, so he settled for one: feeling bad for Weevil, and two: hoping really hard Brian would stop kicking soon.

But he kept kicking, and had that nasty look on his face, as if he really was enjoying this. _Really? Do you really need that in your life to feel better about yourself?_ Yugi thought. Ridiculous. Just like that ugly grin of his.

"So, let's do the exercises," Yugi said reluctantly to his arrogant neighbor, who turned to him, giving him a confused look.

Neither of them spoke. But at least, the kicking stopped. Perhaps Brian had been distracted by Yugi's prompt. So he just kept talking. Maybe at least Yugi's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain, if it could relieve weird little Weevil for a moment.

"We have to pretend, at least. The teacher's gonna suspect something if we don't talk."

"What do I care?"

"I don't know," answered Yugi meekly. _Be brave, Little Yugi!_ He shook the meekness away.

"You're weird," Brian said dismissively, turning to his own textbook.

"You- so you think kicking someone's ch- chair for fun isn't weird?" Yugi retorted.

Wow. Maybe that wasn't the most witty retort he could come up with, but it wasn't bad. Oh, and it made Yugi's ears boil, too. Gosh, when would the blushing just stop?

Brian snickered. "Got a crush on me, midget?"

"Ew," Yugi said immediately, by reflex. And then, with a bit more courage: "Don't- don't flatter yourself."

"Well fuck you, midget," he spat. "Fag."

"Whatever, Brian," Yugi murmured hastily, seeing the teacher walk in their direction. "Yeah, I think that's the answer," he said loudly enough to be overheard.

When the teacher looked away, he gave Brian one last, dark look, and buried his nose in his textbook. Figuratively, of course.

He didn't look at the bully for the rest of the class, and interestingly enough, the bully didn't _bully _Weevil for the rest of the class, either. Maybe his pride had gotten wounded. Maybe he just lost interest. You had to praise Weevil for one thing: he either had really thick skin, or he simply didn't realize what was going on, for he didn't give Brian any kind of reaction. None at all.

Which is exactly what all bullies are going for!

Regular class resumed for ten minutes, and then the bell rang. Yugi had English; Anzu had Phys Ed, Yami had whatever else. (So did Weevil, but Yugi wasn't too interested in knowing).

Brian was the first to leave the classroom. The rest of the class emptied slowly and Weevil left quickly, not looking at Yugi even once. Yugi almost felt bad for not even saying hi to the platinum blue haired boy.

Anzu nearly jumped on Yugi when no one else was seeking her attention.

"Who are you and what did you do to my friend Yugi?" She poked him on the shoulder and smiled brightly. "Seriously, where'd that come from? That was awesome!"

"Indeed," came Yami's cool voice behind Yugi's shoulder.

"Oh, erm, thanks," Yugi whispered, turning to Yami right away.

He gave Yami one shy smile.

Yami gave him one apologetic smile.

What they didn't see was Anzu's smile falter until it wasn't a smile at all anymore.


	22. Another Letter?

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**Chapter 22**

**.**

"Whatever are you saying? He's not mad at you," Anzu retorted, furiously cramming her backpack with the textbooks she was planning to take home for the night, holding the door to her locker open with one raised knee.

Yugi was slowly sorting out his own belongings, unhurriedly. Or rather, as if he wanted to postpone something. "I don't know," he said before letting out a huge, sad sigh.

"I'm telling you!" Anzu insisted, almost on the verge of annoyance. "You didn't see the look on his face, didn't you. That didn't look like someone who's mad at someone! I say just run and go apologize to him if you value your friendship."

A friendship that involves kissing... And petting... It wasn't the end of the world.

"What are you even doing here?" Anzu reproached. "Go after him, go!"

Yugi was stunned just long enough for Anzu to close the door to his locker. "B-but I..."

"Go! Go! Go_go**go**_!" Anzu looked over his shoulder. Yami wasn't in sight but the swarm of fangirls that turned the corner was a good indicator that perhaps Yami had just taken that corner, too.

"Okay, well- don't push me, Anzu! What's gotten into you?"

She crossed her arms and looked to the side. "... I just think sometimes you're oblivious is all," she said before frowning a little. "But seriously, I don't think he wants to lose you as a friend. He will, though, if you don't do your part, because..."

"Because what?"

She zipped her backpack and closed the door to her own locker. "Because he looks like a bit of a proud soul, like my mom would say. Don't you think?"

Yugi gave this some thought. "Hm. Then that would mean... When you're proud that means you're sensitive, too, deep down, no?"

Anzu smiled, but it was a strange smile, like if she was smiling to herself. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Yugi." She stepped closer to him and gave him one big hug, lifting him off the ground. "For courage," she explained. "But seriously, go after him. Before it's too late."

Traffic in the corridors was thinning out. The fangirls were nowhere to be heard. But Yugi knew he could catch up to Yami if he was quick enough; he knew in which direction he'd go, and if he'd decided to take a different way home, Yugi knew where he lived, so finding Yami wasn't a problem.

"Okay," Yugi smiled. Then: "Thank you for being my friend, Anzu."

"Thank _you_," Anzu smiled back, but she turned away and walked towards her exit (a shortcut she took to save herself two blocks' worth of walking). Yugi wasn't sure, but he thought he'd seen Anzu's smile falter way too quickly.

.

Yugi had walked, jogged, then run the exact same path he and Yami had taken when they'd gone for sundae, even entering the little fancy coffee shop and glancing inside to see if he was there; he walked all the way to Domino Square, regretting he'd brought along his Grammar Primer _and_ his math exercise book at once - his back was starting to ache and Yugi had to take a break, sitting alone on a bench, looking at the idle people walking, the other high school students only too happy not to be locked indoors anymore, the young couples and the young urban professionals out for a drink or two with their colleagues... Yugi didn't like to think about the day he'd be out of school, too. School was boring but his only alternative was Grandpa's shop, and although he liked working home and helping out and games, looking after the shop just wasn't the same as playing the games it sold.

Not wanting quite yet to admit that he'd managed to lose Yami, Yugi got up bravely and surveyed the little shops and kiosks around the square, looking in vain for a taller, slimmer, more charismatic version of himself. In vain.

Mister Yami Atem Akhna-Something was nowhere to be seen.

Yugi decided to walk up to his apartment building tower and try knocking at his door. Not that he was desperate; but at this point, if he's come all the way here by foot, might as well give that option a try before taking the bus back home.

He got to the foot of one of the high-rises in which the cream of the crop of Domino lived. Finally! His heart was beating a little faster already, just thinking of all the effort he'd made to come here. What would Yami think? He might think Yugi was trying a little too hard. But then again, like Anzu said, if he was a bit proud, then he wouldn't do this himself and the relationship would be lost... Augh! What to do?

A tall lady in a clean tailored suit walked past him, stopped, then stepped towards Yugi.

"My! You look just like one of the tenants here," she exclaimed. "Are you related to him by any chance?" She spoke clearly and neatly, very proper like.

"Oh, no, but if we're talking about the same person, then yes, I'm a friend of his." Yugi's heart did a flip at his pronouncing the word 'friend'. Did Yami think of him as a friend?

"Then do come in," she invited, "I'll let you in with my pass and you can just wait for him there?"

"Oh, that would be nice," Yugi replied. In a cute way, apparently, because the lady couldn't suppress a loving smile. She'd give him a hug if she could, Yugi was ready to bet. She swiped her magnetic card in the reader and the tall, glass, automatic doors slid for the both of them.

She made small chat with him in the elevator, and after she inquired about what year he was at school and which classes he liked best, the lady asked the dreaded 'what do you want to do when you graduate' question.

"I want to take after my Grandfather and man the family store," he said automatically. It sounded heavy, important. Like he was sealing his fate by saying this out loud. It was his stomach's turn to do a flip; he had only one year of high school left, and then everyday of the week would feel like his Saturdays and Sundays spent behind the counters of the Kame Game shop, labeling and counting and dusting boxes and packages of merchandise, except that he wouldn't have to do actual homework during slow hours.

To his dismay, that might just make the task even more boring.

"That's very honorable of you. Not a lot of young people want to take after the family business these days. Well, it's my floor. I wish you good luck..."

"Yugi," he supplied.

"Yugi," she repeated, extending a hand as she smiled to him.

He shook it, taken aback by the vigor of her shake, and waved her goodbye even after the elevator doors had closed.

He pressed 44 and waited for the silent machine to take him up.

The corridors were empty on this floor, as usual - did nobody else live here? Yugi felt as if though the carpets and the wooden panels on the lower walls were absorbing all sounds. He even slowed down his pace when his pencils started jiggling inside his rigid pencil case, as if it was impolite to disrupt the silent atmosphere.

When he arrived in front of Yami's door he didn't actually want Yami to be there. Kind of the same way someone would dial someone's phone number and really hope of getting the answering machine...

He swung his heavy backpack off his shoulders and laid it on the ground next to his feet.

But the figurative burden on his shoulder stayed; it was just as heavy, and so was the rock inside his chest (since when did he have a heavy rock instead of a normal beating heart?)

Yugi bit his lip and stepped forward. _Be brave_, he told himself mentally.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and raised a fist at shoulder height.

Then, maybe a whole minute later, he knocked.

Oh, it was a timid knock.

Yami might not have heard him.

He tried knocking again, a little louder this time.

Nothing.

Yugi let his shoulders sag.

Maybe Yami didn't want to see him.

_No, that's silly, don't tell yourself that_.

His shoulders sagged.

Yami probably just wasn't home at all. Maybe he was... somewhere else? Still at school? No, surely not. Yami didn't even look like he needed to be at school in the first place, why would he stay here any longer than the strict minimum?

Not really knowing what to do, Yugi leaned against the wall, looking around, looking for a solution to his problem. If he'd come all the way here, might as well let Yami know.

After hesitation, he unzipped his backpack, took out a pen and a white piece of paper, then started writing.

.

Grandpa had offered to do the dishes because there wasn't anything interesting on TV Monday nights anyways, but for once Yugi would have welcomed the distraction. Anything to take off his mind the supremely ridiculous thing he'd written on that paper he'd slid under Yami's door.

It gnawed at his brain like a stubborn dog refusing to let go of an old toy, it bothered Yugi while he was studying, and while he was reading (or trying to), and when he brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas and went to bed and stared at the glowing red digits on his alarm clock until his eyes were dry and the hour read 2:04.

He'd found fourteen minor modifications he could have done to the letter and five ways he could prevent Yami from opening it - from phoning him to going back and sliding a second letter under the door (_ps Yami don't read the other letter_) to politely asking security to unlock Yami's door so that he could retrieve his letter.

But it was sent, it was too late and by now Yami had probably read it.

Oh gosh!

Yugi tossed and turned in his bed and finally he willed himself to lie on his back and close his eyes and focus on sleeping, counting sheep and all, but the text of the letter - he had it memorized to the line breaks - just kept repeating itself in his head.

_Dear Yami,_

_Today at school I wanted to walk here with you and say I'm sorry. I really want us to be friends and I don't want you to be upset at me. I'd understand if you'd be upset at me for what I did yesterday but I promise that I feel really sorry about it. I really didn't mean to make you feel bad. I hope you give me another chance so that we can be friends again. I really like you and I want to get to know you better. _

_Yugi_


	23. A Peck on the Forehead

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

AN  
>Guys I'm so sorry for the wait! Massive thanks for your awesome reviews and for not abandoning this story! I've been so, so, so busy lately, and although I have pretty much the whole plot planned out, I was losing inspiration for this story, but gladly I fell in love with it again, and so you can expect more frequent updates over the next few months! As a last side note, I should mention here that Miho is pretty OOC in this, I hope you don't mind. Love,<br>Milly

**.**

**Chapter 23**

**.**

"Oh Yuuugi!"

Our hero thought he might be hallucinating; there was no, no, no one who called him by his name in Science. Well technically the period hadn't started yet; students were still roaming in the corridors, pouring in the classroom.

"Yugi Yugi _Yuugi_!"

He knew that voice, or rather, those voices; it was Anzu and Joey and Tristan, glomping him before he had time to visually locate them (this bad habit he had of putting on his safety goggles too early).

"Hey Yugi my man!"

"Yo Yugi, bro!"

Yugi couldn't help but smile at Joey and Honda's funny faces. Anzu was sporting an unusually bright, fresh grin for a boring Tuesday morning, nothing like the faint shadows of heartbreak she'd been nursing over the last days.

"Hi guys. Hi Anzu."

"Anzu totally counts as one of the guys, don't you know?"

Anzu took the comment in stride. "Yugi guess what."

"I don't know," replied Yugi, doing a very bad job of containing his smile.

"It's-"

"SuperWooorld!" They chanted in unison.

All Yugi could do was laugh nervously. Not that he was embarrassed by his friends; he just didn't like to be the center of attention. Plus the teacher was bound to arrive any minute now.

"You, me, and those two weaklings," Joey said. "SuperWorld. Attack of the Zombies Three. _Tonight_."

"I thought you said you'd never play that game again," said Yugi quietly, remembering how much of a sore loser Joey had been last time.

"Hot damn, Yugi! You're on fire!" Tristan said, welcoming the little man's sass.

"Well I sure hope you won't be setting anything on fire _today_, Mister Mutou" the science teacher said, making her presence known.

"Sure he won't." Joey flashed her a winsome smile, completely not trying to hide his obvious crush on the 'brainy cougar' (may she never hear of that secret nickname). Anzu rolled her eyes.

Tristan elbowed his friend in the gut. "We're on our way now, Miz." At least Tristan was more subtle. Well in all fairness, it was Joey who had a thing for older women, really.

"I'll see you guys at lunch," Yugi said.

"We were thinking of going to the kebab stand, you're in?"

"Huh... I don't know," Yugi murmured as the group slipped away from the classroom, then smiled to himself as he put his lab coat on.

"Your goggles," said the girl sitting behind him, handing him the flashy green thing. "They fell."

The girl smiled to him, in a friendly way. In a friendly timid way.

"Thanks." His voice was barely audible even to himself. What was so difficult about talking to strangers? Besides she wasn't even a stranger, she was a girl from his class, her name was, erm...

"You're friends with Honda?"

A slight blush crept on her cheeks. It wasn't the extra layer of clothing (the lab coat).

"Um, yeah. Well um, he was Joey's friend first, and then um, when Joey and I became friends, then I guess, well, one thing leads to the other or so they say, right, and so then Tristan also-"

"Could you introduce me to him?"

Yugi made a face, remembering his misadventures with Anzu and the letter. Thanks, but no thanks.

The girl's face faltered. Oh no! She was misinterpreting Yugi's, erm, non-words. "He already has a crush on Miho," he added quickly.

And then turned around as if nothing happened, hoping the world would swallow him whole. Crap! He'd just revealed his friends' crush, to a girl he didn't even really know, nothing less! Maybe if he pretended their conversation hadn't taken place, she'd forget, or think that she'd hallucinated the whole thing.

Yeah.

.

Science was a double period because of the extra time required to dress up and down and get material and clean stuff and everything. So now Yugi was even running a little late for lunch, because he'd been extra careful during his experiment _not_ to set anything on fire this time...

And he saw that his friends weren't sitting at their usual table.

Yugi's hand went to smack his forehead as if moved by a will of its own - crap! They were already outside the school grounds, merrily munching on delicious shawarma.

He walked to his table anyway, with sloppy feet, until he was poked a little too hard on the shoulder.

"You should sit with me now that your friends are gone."

"Oh... Hi Weevil, nice to see you, too."

Yugi hadn't meant to be sassy to the boy, not because he'd intended it to be mean or anything, but because by now he was fairly certain sarcasm was not a language he could speak.

"I mean, sure, Weevil."

And for good measure: "Thanks."

"You're quite welcome. I've brought a portable chess game today. Not my best one. I don't like my games to get greasy, especially since we're going to be manipulating food."

"Huh, okay, Weevil."

They sat down at Yugi's usual table - where did Weevil usually sit down to eat lunch? - and began unpacking their lunch bags. Weevil, of course, took pains to set down his pieces so that each one was set precisely at the center of their respective squares. Yugi had already eaten up all of his baby carrots and made eye contact (several times) with Miho and her female friends (plus one guy), who were seated behind Weevil, by the time the oblivious chess player had finished setting up the game.

As Yugi took his first bite out of his flaked ham sandwich Weevil was hiding a white and a black pawn behind his back. Then he proceeded to show a pair of closed fists to Yugi.

Who gave him a perplexed look. Weevil said nothing, staring at Yugi so intently he had to look away.

"Um... You're not eating, Weevil?"

"You don't have to touch my hands. Left or right? Your pick."

"I know that, Weevil, but... I, um... I don't generally make it a habit to do gaming while I eat."

"This isn't gaming, it's chess."

"I know, but it's a game."

Now Yugi knew very well what Weevil meant, and just so happened to agree with him, but there was something irritating enough in the platinum blue haired boy's behavior that it made even The Befriender of Bullies want to disagree with him.

"So yeah, um, you can put your hands down, Weevil, I'm going to at least finish my sandwich first? I wouldn't want to make a bad choice on an empty stomach," he amended, congratulating himself for bringing the conversation to more agreeable terrain.

Then since Weevil was showing no reaction, Yugi felt compelled to ease the tension with a nervous laugh. At the very moment Miho turned to him for the fifteenth time, and glare at him again.

"Is it true?"

Her voice was quite commanding. Not mean or threatening, just... so earnest and straightforward it yielded some sort of authority. Which was unsettling. She was so meek when she first transferred here last year.

Yugi gave Weevil a contrite smile, choosing to ignore the girl's comment. He did not want to have a conversation about Tristan when he wasn't here to defend himself.

"Aren't you going to eat, Weevil?"

"Yugi, just tell me. Is it true?"

"I already ate." Weevil didn't sound like he was aware of the other conversation.

"Erm..."

"So are you going to choose?"

"So is it true or not?"

"Wait, one at a time." Since when had he become so popular? _Gah_, being the center of attention was even worse than he thought. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't want to play chess right now," he said impatiently, which for Yugi sounded like... well, like anyone else's normal.

Miho pursed her lips and turned back to her circle of friends, who were ogling her for answers she didn't have. In the meantime Weevil had began playing for himself, and for Yugi as well.

"I thought this was a good first move for you to make."

"Weevil I told you I'm not playing chess in the cafeteria!"

Now that had sounded like, well, pleading-impatient.

"You could consider joining the club, then." Strangely enough it sounded like an ultimatum. You know you're having a weird day when you're coerced into joining the geekiest of high school gaming clubs.

Yugi had the unsettling impression that his louder than usual voice had made him the center of attention. It felt like everyone around him was giving him furtive glances. "Yeah, um, I guess I could give it a try."

"Come tonight to watch, and then you can start playing tomorrow."

_Excuse me? _

"Well..." Yugi thought BE FRIENDLY really loud. "Um, tonight I'm busy, and tomorrow night I'm helping Grandpa at the shop."

Weevil made a face.

"Thursday maybe?"

"...Yeah, sure."

Yugi then took a ginormous bite into his sandwich to signal that _hey, less talking, more eating_. _EATING. _

Weevil went on with his solitary chess game, unfazed, like it was the most normal thing to do, pondering even before he made each black piece and white piece slide on the board.

.

Today was a good day to have English.

Today was Movie Day.

Yugi was sandwiched between Weevil and Anzu, something that he would have to learn to enjoy if he didn't want to resent his second favorite subject until the end of the school year. The students were allowed to sit in any configuration so long as they remained silent, and that conditional privilege was a good enough incentive to have the students efficiently discipline one another as soon as a whisper arose.

They had reached a very awkward part of the movie - a kiss scene, and while had Yugi had never been fond of those, his distaste for the thing was only amplified by the memory of a certain recent event shared with the man of his dreams... - and so Yugi's eyes were darting everywhere, even to the most remote and uninteresting places. Huh. Who knew there were exactly forty five and a half tiles on the ceiling?

His eyes slid to the classroom's door where, wait a minute, that- no.

Yami was there, peeking through the tiny window.

Yami, standing in the middle of the hallway for no reason.

Yami smiling at Yugi.

Yugi smiling back at Yami (like a huge idiot).

No matter how non-kissey the movie was becoming now, nothing on this planet could make Yugi stay put in his seat. He excused himself, mouthing silent apologies as he tip-toed from his corner of the classroom to the other, crouching slightly so that his impossible hairdo wouldn't conceal any of the poignant social drama happening on the screen.

"Yami!" He shout-whispered as soon as the classroom's door was closed behind him.

The taller teen encircled his arms around Yugi's waist, earning a little yelp from him. Yugi slid away from the nimble embrace.

"Oh, uhm, hi."

"Well hello there."

"What- what are you doing here?"

"I came to reply to your sweet letter."

Oh crap. That letter.

"Oh, uhm..." Yugi's blush could probably be seen from _space_.

"Actually I thought maybe you'd want to read me that letter in person. What do you say we go for ice cream tonight?"

That devilish smile could not possibly mean 'ice cream'. Yami looked nothing like a man whose hurt feelings had caused him to act all cold and distant from the object of his affections, just one day ago.

"Um, tonight I can't..." Even bats would have to strain their ears to hear Yugi's voice.

Yami raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, tonight I'm going out with my friends, and tomorrow I'm helping at the store, and Thursday I promised someone I'd hang out with them. But Friday-"

"Friday is okay for me."

"Friday is okay for me, too."

"Yes, that's what I had assumed you were going to say, Little Yugi."

"Oh. Um."

"Well Friday isn't just any day."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you doing this on purpose? Being cute."

"Um, oh, no, I'm not."

Yami made a low humming sound Yugi thought only cats could make.

"I don't know what's holding me back, I should pin you on the wall and kiss you right there."

"Eep!"

Now that was a sound only _mice_ were supposed to make.

"I'll save it for Friday. After the movie."

"What movie?"

"Dinner and a movie, little Yugi. A proper date."

"A... proper date."

"A proper date, yes."

"B-but you only wanted me to read the letter."

"Oh, Little Yugi."

And then a peck on the forehead.


	24. Coming Out?

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**Chapter 24**

**.**

"So what's up with Weirdo-Weevil, huh?"

"Yeah, he's like following you everywhere, now."

The boys were overdoing it, Yugi thought. Weevil wasn't that bad!

"He's not coming tonight, is he?"

That was Anzu. And it was... highly unusual of her to be that dismissive. To be dismissive at all. There was an awkward silence that the boys didn't break.

"I mean nothing against him but..." The boys nodded. "It's just that I don't... It's just that I wanted tonight to be about you, Yugi!"

"Yeah, man, it's all about you, bro."

Yugi giggled nervously at the epithet. "Bro?"

"Yeah! Yugibro."

"Yugi Moubro."

"Yugi Brotou."

"Guys I think I like my regular name," Yugi said meekly. They entered the arcade, noisy and flashy and full of violent pseudo skill games that Yugi liked only a little.

"Yo you can't take that!" Joey shouted to a gamer who couldn't hear him. "They're taking Attack of the Zombies!"

"Relax, man, we'll find something else."

Anzu went to buy some coins, leaving the three guys on their own.

"Hey Yugi, is it true? About that guy Yami?"

"Whuh the er like what?"

"You know," Honda said glancing at Anzu who was safely stationed in a queue to deal with the attendant, "that Anzu had a crush on it and all."

Crush. Honda. Miho. Huh-oh. Honda didn't know yet. Yugi instantly felt bad. So bad he just had to be honest with him.

"Well I don't know about Anzu but I do."

"Do what."

Joey had a blank look on his face.

"Well, you know."

"Know what?"

"Yeah, know what, Yugi?"

Yugi squirmed away from the boys, stumbling against another gamer.

"Well... having a crush."

"A crush on whom?"

"Yami!"

"Yes but on whom?"

"Not, not Yami, me!"

"What do you have to do with anything?" Honda asked, exasperated, glancing increasingly nervous glances in Anzu's direction.

"I HAVE A CRUSH ON YAMI!"

"..."

"... What?"

"I have a crush on Yami," he repeated more quietly. "It's true. I'm- I'm not ashamed anymore. I don't care. I like guys."

The boys' eyebrows had relocated on their foreheads.

"... You're not angry at me, are you?"

"No! No."

"No no no."

"No Yug', don't worry bro, I mean, no man, don't worry."

"Yeah don't worry. Your secret's safe with us."

"It doesn't have to be a secret," Yugi said meekly. "I don't mind everyone knowing that I'm gay."

"Okay, but maybe tonight's not the best time to break it to Anzu, I think," said Joey tentatively.

"Yeah, she seems pretty hung up on him."

"You mean you guys knew?"

"Well, I heard things," Honda said, very poorly hiding the fact that he'd probably gleaned the gossip from Miho.

"Anzu will be cool with your gayness," Joey added emphatically.

Yugi heaved a big sigh. "She already knows," he dropped guiltily.

The boys' faces dropped.

"... It was a girl thing I guess eh," Joey said, unable to hide his disappointment. They had this thing where him and Yugi were the best friends in the gang, even though for some things Yugi just found it easier to reach out to Anzu.

"No! It's not like that. Guys..."

"My uncle's gay, Yug', like, I'm not against gays or anything."

"I know-"

"Yeah uh, me too, I mean probably, like I think one of my cousins is a lesbian, come to think of it she always come with a 'girl' 'friend' at family reunions. Then Joey's face was transfixed as if every piece of the puzzle was slowly falling into place. "But anyway I'm all about gays, I mean, not for myself but like, yeah, like, being gay is totally cool, Yugi."

Yugi laughed weakly. "It's not like that, guys." But it _was_. Yugi had been afraid. Afraid of opening up to his two best buddies. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. If it's any consolation I waited a couple of years before I told Anzu, too. And she's the only one who knows so far."

Yugi knew that wouldn't assuage the feeling of betrayal. Oh, how bad he felt for keeping them in the dark!

"Must've been pretty rough keeping that to yourself, man." Tristan patted Yugi on the shoulder, which wasn't much effort considering how short Yugi was.

"Yeah. Especially from your grandpa."

Honda glared at Joey before elbowing him in the gut.

"Oh my God guys you started fighting already!" Anzu was back, her hands full of the stained bronze coins that held the secret path to treasure.

And Attack of the Zombies III was free.

"I'm so going to beat your sorry ass, Yugi."

"Hah! If you can even make it to the top scores chart."

"Boys, I think you're letting the testosterone go to your head. Remember last time I was second every time. This time I might just stop taking it easy."

Yugi laughed at his friends who were already fighting to figure out who would get to play first.

No matter how things turned out with this mysterious Yami Atem, one thing was certain:

His friends should always come first.


	25. Another Kind of Underwood

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**Chapter 25**

**.**

Yami hadn't shown up at school at all today, but that didn't mean he hadn't been on Yugi's mind. Oh he was a prized tenant of Yugi's heart.

But it had felt lonely going to Health Ed, listening to the teacher drone on about doing what you love and choosing the career of your dreams, yet trying to reach a balance between security and passion. Or something along those lines. And yes, for some reason, the career orientation aspect of his high school education had been lumped together with contraception and ethics in the one class. Health Ed really was a clusterflip of everything and anything that didn't fit in the major disciplines, like English, Math, Phys Ed, etc...

Yugi wished he could skip on these classes; his career was already decided in advance. Not that he complained about it, no. He was pretty happy knowing that unlike the majority of his classmates, he had something to go to upon graduation.

Besides he'd dreamed since childhood of manning the shop, of being behind the counter and handling both the money that brought food to his and his grandfather's table AND the games that he so loved. It was a pretty realistic setup and a dreamy one as well. A lot of the younger patrons often professed their envy and desire to open up a game shop just like Yugi's grandpa had. Of course Yugi encouraged them, but at the same time he was also aware that a city can only accommodate so many game shops, and that competition was always lurking at the horizon - what if Kaiba Corporation decided to open some retail outlets? What if some kind of franchise brand from another city decided to settle in Domino, ejecting the Kame Game Shop from the entrepreneurial race with some better planned business tactics?

In the era of hypermarkets, depersonalized brand names and internet commerce, mom and pop shops like the one the Mutou's operated were a rarity, an endangered species, something to be proud of.

"Yugi?"

He looked left and right, looking for the sound of the voice. It was the teacher, asking him a question.

"I'm sorry- I'm afraid I wasn't listening," Yugi said earnestly. The teacher was so caught by the honesty in his voice that a chuckle spilled from her lips, and his classmates were so caught with the unintentional brashness of his statement that they had a good laugh.

Not at his expense.

Not against him, but with him. A number of faces turned to look at him, all surprised smiles and 'I had no idea you had it in you, little man'.

And this, somehow, gave Yugi a boost of confidence. He'd come out in the open to his best guy friends yesterday; he'd boldly accepted (was coerced into, but it wasn't like he was going to complain about that) a date with his most massive crush to date, and he'd manage to be honest with his best girlfriend AND mend the broken remains of their friendship after having had a major fight over said massive crush.

Plus he had a nice, a little boring but still comfortable relationship with his Grandpa, he had a career to aspire to after he graduated, and well...

Things were going pretty good for Yugi, actually.

The rest of the class went on without incident. While personality tests and education levels weren't anything he would ever have any use for, Yugi took solace in the fact that he wasn't losing his time; he was taking notes for Yami.

.

The chess club was, interestingly enough, in the very same classroom he'd had Health Ed in earlier this morning.

"Hello," he said to no one in particular. Most heads remained focused on their own games, yet two guys and a girl with too much acne turned to give Yugi a curious glance over. Who was this mysterious creature entering their realm?

"Do you want to pick whites," Weevil asked from behind his back without showing any hint that he was actually asking a question.

"Er... hello Weevil," Yugi replied, still a bit taken aback by the strange boy's chronic allergy to casual greetings.

How come everyone was already playing? Yugi was far from being late. He'd even hurried up just to make sure he would be not only on time, but in advance. He didn't want his first and only appearance at the Chess Club to give him a bad reputation. Yugi was a gamer at heart, after all, and he understood the importance of not making your partner wait.

"I can go easy on you if you want," Weevil said matter of factly, already having taken a seat in front of a nice looking chess set.

Now Yugi didn't know whether his feathers had been ruffled by the comment, but he couldn't help himself when he refused to sit down, pointedly took his time to look at his surroundings, and ask Weevil in a somewhat puzzled voice: "Aren't you going to introduce me to everyone first?"

"After their games maybe. But then we'll be playing. Maybe after everyone's done playing. But then some of them will be going straight home and you won't get to meet them. If you can remember their faces I can name them for you once we're done."

"Er..." Yugi did not know what to make of this offer. Of these... instructions? So he simply sat down in front of Weevil, ready to meet his two player fate. "Okay, erm, I guess I still remember the rules. It'll take me a few games to get in the groove of things but hopefully I'll be a worthy opponent before the end of the session," he offered nicely, being the polite young man he always was.

"No doubt you'll be a little rusty, but I think I'll still have some fun doing the teaching," Weevil said matter of factly, not once making eye contact with Yugi. He was engrossed in placing his pieces, making sure they were perfectly centered and facing one another. Yugi couldn't tell whether he was used to doing this or whether he was simply extra nervous that he had a new friend come and play with him.

Although by the looks of it - a rapid headcount told Yugi that the chess club was far more popular than he'd thought, and that they weren't all ugly looking outcasts; there were some pretty ordinary looking kids. And quite a number of girls, as well. If the boys in this room were smart enough to stop chasing after the popular girls they wouldn't need to worry about celibacy.

Playing chess with Weevil was something else.

To be quite honest with himself Yugi had expected the game to be as unsteady as the platinum blue boy's mannerisms; but it seemed like when he played he was another person. Another Weevil. He'd taken his glasses off, and Yugi couldn't help but notice a few freckles, and really lovely, pale blue eyes hiding behind those conservative cropped bangs. Surely he was the kind whose ungrateful physique would shed in time with adulthood. But that was assuming he'd grow a lovely personality to go with any kind of new look.

Come to think of it, it wasn't that Weevil was a bad person. He was just... Extremely weird. Or perhaps he thought everyone else was extremely weird. Was that why he related to insects so well? Yugi had seen his picture in the newspaper a few years ago, showcasing him as a young hobbyist with an impressive collection of local butterflies (Yugi knew he loved the roaches best, but pretty things make better newspaper stories). Even today his collection was rumored to be impressive.

They were just beginning their third game and Yugi hadn't won the two previous ones. He appreciated the fact that despite his earlier offer, Weevil was _not_ going easy on him. It would have been a mistake; Yugi wouldn't have appreciated to be treated with what he perceived was pity. To him gaming was about doing one's best, and while playing ruthlessly to one's advantage wasn't necessary when playing an opponent of lower skill level, 'giving one a chance' was disrespect, plain and simple. You always had to assume the opponent had something up their sleeve, or that they were a fast learner.

And well, apparently Weevil was on Yugi's wavelength for that, as well.

The other pleasant thing about the chess club was the silence. Now that he wasn't confronted to the strenuous task of communicating with fellow human beings, Weevil looked more peaceful, more relaxed. It was as if though this room, this group of disconnected people, this time of the week erased the seemingly permanent worry wrinkles on his forehead. He looked patient and contemplative when Yugi took time to decide on a move.

Which, oddly enough, only made Yugi want to pierce the mystery that was Weevil Underwood, rather than to bring the mechanisms of chess back to his memory. It sort of made sense that he be thinking that, in more ways than one. First off, pleasing Weevil, as strange as it sounded, was the very reason Yugi was here. Not chess. He was here to put a smile on that strange kid's face and really - Yugi wasn't one yet who knew how to say no. Weevil could've asked him to go dig a dumpster for rare roaches and Yugi would have said yes. At least playing chess was gaming, and gaming was something that was close to his heart.

Second, Yugi had grown to rationalize over time that his own sexual preference probably was at the heart of certain of his behaviours. While he wasn't attracted to Weevil per se, it probably made sense to assume that being a gay male, Yugi would naturally be drawn to observe the other men around him. Not that he intended to get all flirty and all. But maybe - maybe he was growing some primal instincts, some kind of radar that was always ready to look for potential mates. Like a primate. It wasn't a bad thing to compare oneself to a primate; they were intelligent creatures after all, weren't they?

Yugi won the third match, surprising both himself and Weevil. It was refreshing to see some real emotion on the boy's face. He was always so guarded, so careful, so distrusting of his surroundings; Yugi wouldn't boast about that to anyone of course, but he found some pride in the fact that he was able to make the boy feel at ease. It certainly looked like no small feat.

"Best two of three, you won, Weevil," he announced cheerfully, yet making sure to keep his voice low so as not to distract the other players. "I think I should go back home to my grandfather. I'm supposed to be the one who cooks on Thursdays." This wasn't exactly true; owing to his age, his grandfather's diet was regulated both in schedule and content. Yugi had already announced that he'd be coming home from school an hour later than usual, and because his grandfather's stomach couldn't wait, he'd already cooked, the day before, some pasta and low-sodium sauce to be refrigerated and reheated when needed.

Weevil seemed, oddly enough, at a loss for words. Yugi gave him a warm smile, founding the odd nerd suddenly quite endearing, his bright blue eyes suddenly looking quite lost without his cherished, unappealing frames.

Yugi didn't want to start a conversation, or let himself be convinced into another game, but he didn't want to leave Weevil like that, either.

"You look good without the glasses," he slipped before walking away. He hoped the compliment would soften the blow of rejection.

Assuming he'd understand that by leaving early Yugi meant to convey that he had no intention of showing up at the chess club again.

.


	26. Before the Date

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**.**

**Chapter 26**

**.**

They were watching the second half of the movie today, and Yugi was sandwiched between Weevil and Anzu again. Except that this time, Weevil seemed sort of reluctant to make physical contact with Yugi. He hadn't even talked to him. Not that he was one for small talk and greetings anyway. Well, Yugi had been sort of caught in a deep conversation with Anzu about a certain friend named H. having a certain crush on a certain girl named M.

Even now that the movie had started Yugi and Anzu exchanged little notes, trying to assess whether or not H. had a chance with M., and if yes, how long it would take for whom to make the first step. Anzu was certain that if - and only if - Miho was interested in Honda, she would be the one stepping forward, because in her opinion he was being way too obvious. Yugi felt odd discussing crushes just like that, because Anzu's own chances with her own crush had been, well, crushed not even a week ago, and there was no way she was over her feelings for Yami.

"Your boyfriend's here," whispered Weevil out of the blue.

Yugi mega icicle Great North froze. His... his what? He risked a glance, oh, a very sly, sideways glance towards the door, praying the heart of the cards that Anzu wouldn't notice.

But she hadn't, and, well... There were a number of things she hadn't noticed, either.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Anzu whispered back. Yugi thought she was blushing, but it was dark in the classroom and it might be because of the warmth - to cut off the noise they had closed the windows and the air in the room felt a little bit stuffy as a result.

Weevil said nothing, did something that could be interpreted as a scoff, but you never really knew with him, and he turned away.

Yugi risked a more visible glance this time and saw the edge of Yami's hairdo peeking from the narrow window of the classroom door. Oh joy.

"Who were you talking about, Weevil?" Anzu asked in a very, very low voice, anxious not to be shushed by the teacher.

Weevil pretended he hadn't heard. Because he had to have heard, Yugi thought; if he had noticed Yami's presence _outside_ the classroom, surely he had enough observational skills to hear Anzu's question. Anzu scoffed - she didn't have a really good opinion of Weevil to start with, and she wasn't one to give second chances like Yugi. Well, yes, she was; it was more like Yugi was the one to give third and fourth and fifth chances.

"I have to go the bathroom," Yugi said, suddenly feeling very small and very 'not super honest'. Without waiting for Anzu's reaction he slid out of his seat, and like a mouse, tiptoed to the classroom door. He didn't even have to crouch when he walked in front of the television; he was just _that_ short. Hey, it had to have some advantages!

Yami wasn't there when Yugi peeked his head out the classroom door. He closed it behind him and looked left, then right. The hallways were desert.

"Hm. Well, I might as well go to the bathroom anyway."

He was surprised by a grinning Yami when he turned the first left corner.

"Yami!" It was you!"

"It took you forever to notice me," Yami said in a rich voice that Yugi suspected was deliberately flirty-like.

"Oh, erm, well I guess I did in the end, haha," Yugi replied nervously. Two lies in less than two minutes - someone call the ambulance!

"I can see that. Did you sense my presence?" Yami asked rhetorically. Somehow his arms were around Yugi's waist. Yugi felt like Jello - no, like really warm, slick, molten Jello. Vanilla flavored.

"You're... You're very present right now..." Yugi said meekly.

Yami was mercilessly plaguing him with a loving stare. Well, loving was generous - the real word probably was more like, 'hungry'.

"I'm looking forward to our date tonight," he purred in Yugi's ear. This instantly triggered some - some - some thoughts in Yugi's - in his - in his privates while inside his heads everything went OOOHH AAAHH OOOHH AAAHH- "are you not, Little Yugi?"

"Y- ahhhh erm yes! Yes! Yes I am, yes," he admitted, unsure whether he should focus more on his knees' unresponsive state, how intensely the little hairs at the base of his neck were prickling, or on the fact that he'd be a pile of (as previously established) syrupy Jello lying on the floor waiting to be lapped by the dogs - if it weren't for Yami holding him up and standing.

"Are you alright?" Yami seemed to be rather pleased with Yugi's heartstruck state, and Yugi couldn't complain about Yami's choice of conditioner. Not that his face was in his hair; it just smelled that far. No, at this moment, Yugi's head was buried somewhere in Yami's chest. "Little Yugi, can you stand up?"

"Yes, yes I think," and suddenly now he could. He smoothed a few wrinkles on his uniform. There was a little piece of thread that hung from the lower hem of his jacket and Yugi began tugging on it - but then stopped - what if the whole thing came undone?

Yami chuckled. "You're so cute I don't think I can ever let anyone near you again. I'm going to be a very jealous boyfriend."

Yugi was so surprised he pulled the thread off in one go - thankfully nothing had come undone, but what was it that Yami just said?

"You don't want to be my boyfriend?" Yami asked teasingly.

"I..."

"I think you make a rather cute boyfriend. You're not aware of just how delicious you really look, Little Yugi," he purred again, placing his warm hands on each side of Yugi's hips, leaning so that he could pour his warm, liquid voice directly into Yugi's ear. His entire scalp was so turned on Yugi was ready to believed he would never again need hairspray his entire life. "I think I want to kiss you right now."

"What?"

"You don't want me to?"

"I..."

"Yes...?"

Yami's body felt warm and fuzzy against his own; or rather, it was Yugi's gut that felt like so. He'd never experienced such a feeling; he was both thrilled and electrified, but snuggly and comfortable at the same time. Yami was breathing on his neck, and two seconds after Yugi decided he didn't have anything meaningful to contribute the conversation, Yami planted a kiss there, on the soft skin.

"Ohh..." Was that him? Had Yugi really not been able to control himself and blatantly voiced his apreciation of the... erm... the 'gesture'?

"My," Yami murmured, "you are quite sensitive. I'm looking forward to our date tonight," he purred again. "I can't wait."

As if Yugi could!

"Yami..."

"Yes?"

"Do you really want me to... Do you really want to be my boyfriend?"

"Why would I not?"

Yami was strangely confident about this. Why would he want to seek out someone like Yugi of all people? A little, short, nerdy, clumsy, unpopular - oh. A kiss.

It had taken Yugi by surprise, but this time he felt ready for it. And he was willing. And so, he kissed back, or he did his best to try to. Yami must've noticed, for he let out and appreciative moan that had Yugi press harder against his chest - which had Yami grunt and flip them both so that Yugi was pinned to the wall by the wrists - don't ask him how Yami had gotten his hands there, he had a way of doing things the sly way. This had broken the kiss, of course, but it only made Yugi more eager to resume it and this time he was the initiator, brushing his lips against Yami's. Just a little; so lightly it almost tickled. Yugi instinctively ran his tongue over his upper lip to lick the tickling sensation away, and Yami chuckled.

"You didn't know you had it in you, didn't you."

"Had it in..."

Yami grinned and leaned in to resume the kiss.

"Wait!"

"Want to stop?"

"Want you to unpin my hands."

Yami considered it for a moment. "Well, if you ask so nicely, I don't see how I can refuse."

Yugi's hands were free again. The grip hadn't hurt; Yami obviously knew what he was doing. "If you don't like it I won't do it again," the taller boy said.

"Oh, well, I can't say it wasn't pleasant but..."

"But?"

"But right now I want to do it like this." 'Like this' meant 'like in the movies'. Not that... Not that Yugi was a romantic at heart but... Well maybe he was but it's just that this was his only reference as far as kissing went. He raised his arms, slowly, so as not to surprise Yami, who was observing the whole scene with a quizzical eye, and let them hung in midair for a split second.

"Can I try - can we try something?" Yugi asked.

"Anything."

Yami had sounded so serious it was a little unsettling to Yugi.

He placed his hands on Yami's shoulders, as if to test them, then looked at Yami hesitantly (but quickly averted his gaze because Yami was being way way too earnest) and let his fingers crawl up to Yami's neck. Yami closed his eyes and Yugi thought, at this very moment, that this was his true beauty; that he could appear so vulnerable to him and him only, and that the charisma and show-off personality he'd revealed to the others was just a facade.

"I think I like you even though I don't know you that well," Yugi admitted quietly. He'd wanted to say something along the lines of 'I love you' but it sounded forced, untrue. He really did not know Yami that well, yet his attraction for him was more than just a crush. Yugi felt like he'd really be missing out on something important if he hesitated too long.

So he hitched himself up on his toes and planted a soft kiss on Yami's lips.

No tongue, no wetness. It had been brief but heartfelt.

And Yami still had his eyes closed.

"I think I don't know you that well, either," Yami admitted. "I hope you can let me get to know you better."

"I do," Yugi said. "I want to. I'm a bit scared," he admitted, "but I hope I can learn to open up to you."

Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi and held him tight.

So tight.

.


	27. Oops!

**A Bowl of Cherries  
><strong>by Black Cherry Bomb

**AN** Quick updates because you've been so generous with your reviews! I love you all! -Cherry

**.**

**Chapter 27**

**.**

Yami held him so tight Yugi thought he might suffocate. But it was okay.

It was okay and nothing mattered.

Because he wasn't afraid.

He was not afraid that Yami would leave him, not afraid that Yami would judge him or belittle him. The taller teenage's body felt strong and warm against his own. Yugi held him as tight as he could in return, which caused Yami to moan a little.

And that sent shivers right through Yugi's spine, and his...

"Boys!"

A young male teacher walked down the hallway, the soles of his shoes clicking smartly on the tiled floor. Yami and Yugi parted immediately except that they didn't; Yami was having too much fun, and he didn't seem to care much for what anyone had to say about the way he led his life. Yugi was torn between thrashing against Yami's hold or snuggling even closer, as if his new pretty much official boyfriend could hide him, or protect him from the teacher.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see what you were doing, but this is class time! Yugi, and... you," he said to Yami's intention, "what were you two doing in the hallway?" He kept throwing glances in Yami's direction as if he wasn't sure of something... As if he'd never seen Yami before.

Or maybe he was just struck by the resemblance between the two boys.

Yugi didn't dare speak; he looked at Yami expectantly, giving him the sole responsibility of addressing the big bad wolf.

"Well?"

Yami smirked; Yugi held his breath.

_Oh no, oh no Yami, don't say anything that you'll regret! Or that I'll regret, most likely, since you don't seem like the kind of person to regret much of anything. Which is a good thing. But - I'll think about this later - hurry up and say something!_

"We're doing extra-curriculars," he said smugly.

Even Yugi, who normally wasn't the most cunning bulb in the bunch, could tell that the teacher was trying to repress a laugh. He wasn't that good yet at handling kids and hiding his emotions from them, Yugi could tell. The teacher repositioned his thick framed glasses on his nose, to try and regain some sense of seriousness, or at least to distract the young couple's attention from his failure at being a serious role model who commanded authority. Not.

"You, er, you can't be doing this here, or now," he began, putting on a fake frown that didn't suit him too well. Yugi dreaded the time when the teacher would ask them to split; he just felt so good in Yami's arms! "Yugi, I'm afraid that..."

Yugi put on his best doe eyed look.

"Erm..."

It seemed to be disarming the teacher somehow.

Yami smirked some more and squeezed Yugi's hidden hip, which caused the shorter boy to yelp.

"Yugi, I'm s- sorry but I have to give you, erm, detention."

Yugi knew very well that getting caught skipping out on classes could result in whole weekends forced to come to the school. Domino High took class attendance very, very seriously. "I have to help my grandfather at the store, Mister," Yugi said. He would've said the man's last name, but didn't know it. The teacher was very new. Maybe he was a homeroom teacher to a classroom of freshmen.

"Well..." The young teacher looked sort of undecisive. He didn't look like a bad, mean person; he didn't want to put Yugi in a bad situation.

"I'd say you're doing a great job of skipping your own class, yourself," Yami said casually. Yugi blushed, steamed, melted. He wanted to vanish into thin air, to disappear on the spot. _Don't be so rude to an adult!_ Yugi thought, appalled by his new pretty certain boyfriend's brashness. Well, to be honest, he was a bit turned on, by it, too. Turned on meaning he found him quite funny and brave. Yugi didn't have any other meaning for that particular phrasal verb, yet, and he ignored that Yami would be more than happy to teach him about that.

The teacher coughed nervously. "I... Yugi I know what you... what you did isn't the end of the world, but you did leave the classroom for something that was not... related to... I can't assume that you were on your way to the bathroom," he said.

Yugi wanted to open his mouth and say that well technically, in a sense, yes, but Yami squeezed his thigh as if to warn him against it. Yugi looked up to Yami, who was looking at the young, conflicted teacher with calm eyes, and Yugi decided to do the same. To just wait.

"I'd love to let you off the hook, Yugi, but if people hear about this I might lose my job. I'm new here and..."

Since when the teacher knew Yugi's name? Maybe that was his hair, or his cuteness, he thought. He did get the 'baby' treatment by adults in general. It wasn't rare for some clients (well they weren't clients, more lost drivers who entered the shop to ask for directions) ask him if he was in elementary school. But that - that was beside the point.

"What about a compromise - what if you come have your detention tonight, instead? You only have to stay until seven, and you're free for the whole weekend."

Yugi's face fell.

"What do you think? Look at the brightside, Yugi - if you work really hard you'll have done all your homework tonight, and won't have to do anything tomorrow or Sunday! You'll have a free weekend all to yourself, Yugi!"

Yugi wasn't really listening to him. He was praying internally for Yami to save them - yes, literally save them - because at this moment there was nothing more important in Yugi's life than this crucial date that they had planned for tonight, and that Yugi had been thinking of, dreaming about, mulling over, for the last few days and nights.

But Yami wasn't doing anything. He didn't show any kind of emotion. Yami's hands were still on Yugi, but they didn't carry any of the emotion they had before. Yami had returned to his old mask of indifference and for the love of card games, Yugi couldn't figure out why.

The teacher waited for Yugi to answer. Yugi waited for Yami to protest. Yami finally looked down at Yugi - and Yugi didn't know how to interpret his reaction.

Then he withdrew his hands from Yugi's waist. Yami looked at the teacher neutrally, then at Yugi, then at the teacher again, then he stepped further back and put his hands in his pockets. Yugi felt devastated.

"I..." He looked at the teacher, resigned. "I guess that works," he said, his voice dead. He glanced at Yami and thought he saw something dark flicker on his face. Oh no. He'd said something wrong. He hadn't reacted the right way! He didn't know what Yami wanted him to do... And he just didn't understand his sudden mood swing.

"That's great, Yugi," the young teacher said, sounding miserably apologetic. He risked a careful glance at Yami - why wasn't Yami getting any kind of detention? Why hadn't Yami kept defending Yugi until the end? "Well, you two better go back to class. I mean... Yugi, you better go back to class." The teacher gave Yami a stern look. Understanding the message, Yami turned on his heel and left.

_What about tonight? _Yugi had wanted to ask. _Why aren't you attending classes anymore?_ But that would sound just really desperate and pathetic, even, and Yugi didn't want to be that anymore. He'd been so bold over the last few days, and he didn't want to lose this all over again.

"Don't worry, Yugi," the teacher said to him in a low voice. "Yami is a little... special."

Yugi looked at him with shocked eyes. So suddenly he knew Yami's name? And he acted like they were, what, best buddies or something? "You don't know him," Yugi bit defensively, hating that he himself didn't really know the man that much, either, despite the few intimate moments they'd shared. "So don't act like you do." He too spun on his heel, and walked back to his class.

The teacher was left behind a little stunned.

.


End file.
